CONEJOS COUNTY — Kyle Cornett Pauley, 31, of Sanford, was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 31, as a result of an investigation led by the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office into an armed robbery that occurred Tuesday, Jan. 30 around 7:20 p.m. at County Line Liquor in La Jara.

According to witnesses, the suspect was wearing dark clothes, had a gun on him and was last seen heading east from the store.

While the sheriff’s office was conducting the investigation at the County Line Liquor Store the La Jara Police Department along with other sheriff’s office patrol staff started searching the area. As per the order of Conejos County Sheriff Howard Galvez Jr. there was a call sent out to the local citizens cautioning them to lock their doors and windows and call 911 if they observed anyone suspicious in the area.

While checking the area, sheriff patrol staff contacted a male party that appeared to match the description of the suspect that robbed the store and was identified as Kyle Pauley.

During the investigation sheriff’s deputies Nicholas Summers and Luis Sisneros obtained enough information and evidence to place Pauley into custody the following day. Pauley was arrested without incident at his residence. While at the residence sheriff staff spoke with Pauley’s girlfriend identified as Jaimie Romero 26, who also resides at the residence. When asked if law enforcement could search the residence Romero said she would rather law enforcement not search or check the residence.

Later, after obtaining a search warrant for Romero’s and Pauley’s residence, the sheriff’s office was able to collect evidence that suggested Pauley was involved in the robbery at the store in La Jara. Pauley was charged with the following criminal charges: Aggravated robbery F-3, 1st degree burglary F-3, Possession of weapons by previous offender F-5, menacing F-5, theft M-2.

Pauley’s bond amount is currently set at $60,000 cash surety.

As a result of executing the search warrant, further investigation and conducting interviews numerous other cases could possibly be solved throughout the San Luis Valley. There was a report of a burglary in March of 2017 on Birch St. in Sanford and most of the items that were stolen were recovered from the Pauley residence. Criminal charges of burglary F-3 and theft F-6 are pending in this case.

Stolen items were located and recovered from a second case that has remained open from the same residence on Birch St. in Sanford. In this case criminal charges of theft M-1 and second-degree criminal trespass M-3 will also be added to the already long list of criminal charges against Pauley.

The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office was able to provide other law enforcement agencies throughout the San Luis Valley with information to assist them with crimes that were committed within their respective jurisdictions, city limits of Del Norte, bank robbery, four robberies within city limits of Alamosa and one burglary within the city limits of Monte Vista