May 22 — Police blotter

Recent calls to Portales law enforcement, according to police records:

Tuesday

• An officer was dispatched to a business in the 1100 block of West First Street about 3 p.m. in reference to a criminal damage report.

He was told the male suspect was last seen running from the area. The northwest corner of the building had been spray-painted with blue markings of unknown meaning.

The suspect was never located.

Wednesday

• An officer was contacted at the Portales Police Department about 7:35 a.m. by a 19-year-old man who said his motorcycle license plate had been stolen.

The man said he had just purchased the motorcycle and hadn’t received a new license plate yet. He went to work in the 300 block of West First Street about noon and found the old license plate missing when he returned about 5 p.m.

The man said he contacted the prior owner of the motorcycle but was told that person hadn’t removed the license plate.

The case is inactive due to lack of evidence.

• About 6:30 p.m., an officer was sent to the 700 block of North Kilgore Street to handle a burglary report.

A 29-year-old man said someone had broken into his house through the back door that day. It appeared the suspect had used a pry bar to open the door.

The man said the only thing taken was his 26-year-old sister’s laptop. He said they left the house about 8 a.m. and found the broken back door about 6 p.m.

The officer found no footprints on the dead grass in the back yard. He entered the laptop into the National Crime Information Center.

The case is inactive due to lack of evidence.

Thursday

• About 12:40 p.m., an officer was told of a battery at Portales Junior High School.

A 13-year-old boy had given another 13-year-old boy minor injuries. The offender was taken to Portales Police Department and then released to his parent.

• An officer went to a bank the 100 block of East Second Street to handle a possible forgery in progress. He was told suspects were trying to cash a forged check at the drive-up window.

The check in question was written for $800.

Friday

• An officer was sent to a business in the 1000 block of West Second Street about 1 a.m. to handle a narcotics violation. The involved parties left in two separate vehicles.

Officers made traffic stops and issued citations for possession of drug paraphernalia, open container and a driver not having a license.

• About 10:05 a.m., a man reported his business in the 600 block of East Second Street had been burglarized.

The man said $358 in cash and change, some of it from an electronic safe, and eight knives worth a total of $24 had been taken. Cameras had been moved to prevent identification of the thieves, he said.

Several items were taken as evidence for possible fingerprint recovery.