Three suspects caught by candy trail from Wellton store

  A trail of dropped candy and footprints led to the arrest of three east Yuma County men suspected of stealing from a Wellton convenience store last week.

  According to the Wellton Police Department, the Mota convenience store was burglarized on Wednesday at about 1 a.m.

  Burglars smashed the front glass door to get into the store and stole the cash register and several bins of candy, police said.

  A Wellton police officer responded to the call and began an initial investigation of the crime at the scene.

  With the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol and the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, police followed a trail of candy and footprints to the home of Anthony Ruiz, police said.

  "Our deputies responded to assist the Wellton Police Department in tracking the suspects to the location, where they were ultimately apprehended," said Maj. Leon Wilmot, of YCSO.

  Further investigation linked two other suspects, Derrick Quiroz and Andrew Samaniego, to the burglary, police said.

  Officers were able to recover some of the candy and the cash register along the way to Ruiz's residence, police said.

  The three suspects were arrested and booked into the Yuma County jail on suspicion of burglary, criminal trespass and criminal damage.

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James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.