Face tattoos lead to arrest of New Mexico man

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX) — A New Mexico man was arrested in connection to a storage unit robbery after the victim identified him by his face tattoos.

Jose M. Castaneda, 33, was arrested on Thursday after Las Cruces police said Castaneda broke into a few storage units on 302 E. Union Avenue, near S. Main Street on February 15.

According to documents from the Las Cruces Police Department, the owner of one of the storage units was driving by the storage when he saw that they were breaking into his unit.

The owner allegedly confronted the suspect (later identified as Castaneda) wearing a face mask inside his storage unit.

During the confrontation, the suspect allegedly pulled a handgun and told the owner to,

Back the [expletive] up.

The suspect reportedly fled the scene when police arrived leaving his car and his girlfriend behind.

A few days later, on February 20, the owner of the storage unit was brought to the Las Cruces Police Station to identify the recovered stolen items found in the suspect's vehicle.

The victim spotted Castaneda's ID inside the car and, according to police, recognized him as the suspect due to the tattoos on his face.

Castaneda is being charged with:

• Breaking & entering
• Criminal damage to property (under $1,000)
• Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
• Possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon
• Resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer