The Chimayó Youth Conservation Corps is still missing seven chain saws and protective chaps, but its van and hard hats that were stolen the weekend of Sept. 13 have been recovered by State Police.
Corps Executive Director Suellen Strale said a man was collecting wood on a forest road off State Road 76 near Truchas Sept. 26 when he came across the van. He left a message at the Corps after it had closed, which Strale said she got the next day. She said the man did not leave his name, but she alerted State Police, who later located the van.
Sgt. Chris Valdez said the van did not appear damaged, and the police kept the van temporarily while they conducted forensic searches to tie a suspect to the theft. He said an ex-Corps worker whom Strale suspects took part in the crime has been arrested on an unrelated warrant, but Police are still looking for physical evidence to prove his involvement in the Corps incident.
“I’d like some proof so we can make something stick here,” Strale said.
Strale said the van is back at the Corps’ facility at the old appleshed, though it is not being used now because of some damage it sustained. She said she thinks the thief or thieves disconnected the gas line from the tank in order to drain the fuel, and now it is leaking gas. She said she expects it to be up and running this week, and State Police are still trying to locate the stolen chain saws. She said she plans to implement new security measures around the Corps, including fencing the parking area and making equipment harder to access. More security cameras and gates may also be installed.