Portales couple charged in connection with stolen furniture

PORTALES — A Portales couple is charged in connection with more than $20,000 worth of furniture and home décor officials say has gone missing from Ashley’s Homestore since June.

Darius VonSchriltz, 25, was arrested Tuesday in Las Cruces, charged with larceny over $20,000, retaining stolen property over $20,000 and multiple counts of disposing of stolen property, court records show.

Kekoa VonSchriltz, 24, identified in court records as Darius’ husband, is charged with retaining/possessing stolen property over $20,000. He was also arrested in Las Cruces, where the couple had been planning to move, records show.

Officials said they found more than 80 items, including bed sets, tables, shelves, TVs, dressers, couches, dishes, mirrors, and more in the VonSchriltz home and a storage unit they had rented in Portales.

Ashley Homestore officials had notified police that merchandise appeared to be missing from the Portales furniture store.

Darius VonSchriltz is a former employee of Ashley’s. He told police he had purchased the furniture in question. Kekoa VonSchriltz, a police officer at Eastern New Mexico University when the investigation into the case began, also told police he believed Darius had purchased the furniture.

ENMU Police Chief Brad Mauldin told The News that Kekoa VonSchriltz resigned his position April 7.

Court records show furniture recovered “was stored in original boxes and plastic bearing (Ashley) brand information such as serial numbers.”

Both men were arraigned and released from custody on Thursday, District Attorney Andrea Reeb said.

Attorneys for the accused did not return phone calls seeking comment. The suspects did not respond to requests for comment through social media.