State v. Ross

665 P.2d 310, 100 N.M. 48
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 24, 1983
Docket7014
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 665 P.2d 310 (State v. Ross) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Ross, 665 P.2d 310, 100 N.M. 48 (N.M. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

OPINION

DONNELLY, Judge

Defendant appeals his conviction for breaking and entering contrary to NMSA 1978, § 30-14-8 (Cum.Supp.1982). The single issue raised on appeal is whether the trial court committed reversible error in denying defendant’s motion for a directed verdict as to the charge of burglary of a dwelling house. NMSA 1978, § 80-16-3(A). Other issues listed in the docketing statement but not briefed are abandoned. State v. McGuinty, 97 N.M. 360, 639 P.2d 1214 (Ct.App.1982).

The grand jury indictment filed against defendant charged him with burglary of a dwelling house contrary to § 30-16-3(A), supra. At defendant’s request the trial court also instructed the jury as to the crimes of attempted residential burglary; burglary of a structure; attempted burglary of a structure; breaking and entering; and attempted breaking and entering. Following deliberation, the jury returned a verdict finding defendant guilty of breaking and entering.

Facts

At trial, the State called three witnesses. Sadie Aguilar testified that she was house sitting for Hardy Swayze on July 18, 1981, and at about 4:00 a.m., she was awakened by the alarm system. She looked out of a window and saw a man trying to break into the garage near the house. She phoned the police and testified that she continued to observe the man for about nine or ten minutes. She described the man as approximately six feet tall, having brown-collar length hair, wearing light khaki pants and a two-tone T-shirt, red and grey in color.

Albuquerque police officer Desiderio Garcia responded to the call for assistance. He testified that upon his arrival soon after the call, he observed a man in the yard of the Swayze residence and attempted to arrest him, but the man evaded being taken into custody. The officer observed that the garage window had been broken, that there were numerous items of personal property strewn around the outside of the window, and that a pair of bolt cutters was lying on the ground near the door of the garage. Garcia then obtained a description of the person seen by her near the garage from Sadie Aguilar, and began a search of the neighborhood. ' Within an hour, Garcia apprehended defendant near the Swayze residence. Defendant identified himself as Kenny Ross.

At the time defendant was taken into custody he was not wearing a shirt but was carrying a two-tone red and grey shirt in his hand and had fresh scratches on his upper body. Officer Garcia advised defendant of his constitutional rights, and took him to the Swayze residence where he was identified by Sadie Aguilar as the same person she had seen at the garage. Defendant admitted that he had been hiding in the yard and having cut the lock to the garage. He later also gave a statement to Garcia, indicating that he had gone to the Swayze home with another person named “Mike,” that defendant broke the lock to the garage, but that the other person had broken the glass and pulled out the items of property.

The owner of the residence, Hardy Swayze, testified to the nature of the damage done to his garage. He stated that the lock to the garage door and a window to the garage had been broken. He further stated that his garage was separated from his residence and not attached in any manner to the dwelling house. Following the conclusion of the evidence presented by the State, the defense rested without calling any witnesses.

Propriety of Defendant’s Conviction

Defendant argues that the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion for a directed verdict because insufficient evidence was presented to submit the case to the jury establishing that he had in fact entered a dwelling place as defined by NMSA 1978, U.J.I.Crim. 16.21 (Repl.Pamph. 1982). Defendant argues that the undisputed evidence adduced at trial was that the structure alleged to have been burglarized was not a dwelling house, but was a garage unattached to any residence.

The evidence was sufficient to support defendant’s conviction for breaking and entering contrary to § 30-14-8, supra. In determining whether the evidence supports a criminal charge or an essential element thereof, on appeal, we view the evidence in an aspect most favorable to the State, and resolve all conflicts and indulge in all permissible inferences therefrom in favor of a verdict of conviction. State v. Tovar, 98 N.M. 655, 651 P.2d 1299 (1982). Defendant was acquitted of the charge of burglary of a dwelling house, thus the failure of the trial court to grant a directed verdict as to that charge was not error. No argument has been advanced that defendant was improperly charged. See NMSA 1978, Crim.P.R. 33(d) (Repl.Pamph.1980).

Defendant has not questioned whether the offense of breaking and entering is a lesser included offense of residential burglary or whether the latter offense may be committed without commission of the prior. See NMSA 1978, Crim.P.R. 44(d) (Repl.Pamph.1980). A lesser included offense is one which is comprised of some, but not all, of the elements of a greater offense and which does not have any element not included in the greater offense so that it is not possible to commit the greater offense without committing the lesser offense. State v. Barela, 95 N.M. 349, 622 P.2d 254 (Ct.App.1980).

The offense of burglary of a dwelling house as defined by statute in New Mexico, can be perpetrated without effecting an entry by (1) breaking any part of a structure, or (2) breaking or dismantling any device used to secure a structure. § 30-16-3, supra. Compare State v. Ortiz, 92 N.M. 166, 584 P.2d 1306 (Ct.App.1978) (conviction of burglary of dwelling house affirmed, despite fact there was “no actual breaking”.); State v. Ruiz, 94 N.M. 771, 617 P.2d 160 (Ct.App.1980) (criminal trespass by unlawfully remaining on property is not included within the offense of burglary of a dwelling house). 1 New Mexico no longer defines burglary in terms of a “breaking.” 2 State v. Ortiz, supra. Burglary of a dwelling house requires an entry of a dwelling house with the intent, at the time of entry, to commit a felony or theft therein. State v. Ruiz, supra. The offense of burglary is complete when entrance to a dwelling house, structure or other statutorily defined enclosure is made with the required criminal intent.

U.J.I.Crim. 16.21, supra, defines “dwelling house” as “any structure, any part of which is customarily used as living quarters.” Under the facts herein, the detached and non-contiguous garage did not constitute a part of the dwelling house proper. See State v. Lara, 92 N.M. 274, 587 P.2d 52 (Ct.App.1978); State v. Ortiz, supra. Nor was the garage used for living quarters. Under the facts herein, breaking and entering was not a lesser included offense of the charge of burglary.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
665 P.2d 310, 100 N.M. 48, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ross-nmctapp-1983.