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University of New Mexico police and Albuquerque SWAT team members raided a South Valley home this morning and arrested two people suspected in a string of vehicle thefts on campus this summer.

The suspects, affiliated with Los Padillas gang, attempted to steal a vehicle earlier this week at UNM Hospital, UNM Police Department spokesman Lt. Pat Davis said.

The two also are believed to be responsible for several other vehicles stolen from campus this summer, Davis said.

Police arrested Pazielle Padilla, 18, and a juvenile male in an early morning raid at 7412 Old Aspen Road S.W., Davis said.

Another person was taken for questioning, he said, but has not been arrested.

A warrant has been issued for a fourth suspect who was not at the home in the raid, he said.

Davis said more vehicles have been stolen on the UNM campus this summer than in previous years.

Twelve vehicles have been stolen since June, a significant increase over previous summers, Davis said.

Typically, about five vehicles are stolen each month during the fall and spring semesters, he said. During the summer months, vehicle theft typically decreases because fewer people are on campus, he said.

The UNM Police Department started doing surveillance this week in the South Valley and West Side after a witness reported last week's attempted vehicle theft, Davis said.

The thefts are believed to be connected because they targeted U.S. vehicles built in the early 1990s, he said.

The suspects are young, which could be a reason that older American models were targeted — they're easier to steal, Davis said.

None of the stolen vehicles were found at the home on Aug. 3, but several have been recovered in the past month in the South Valley and West Side.

The juvenile was charged with auto burglary, Davis said. Padilla charged with auto burglary, conspiracy to commit auto burglary, child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The Albuquerque Police Department investigated 5,500 reports of stolen vehicles in 2006, reports show.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau says the most commonly stolen vehicles in the United States for 2005 were:

1. 1991 Honda Accord

2. 1995 Honda Civic

3. 1989 Toyota Camry

4. 1994 Dodge Caravan

5. 1994 Nissan Sentra

In Albuquerque, Ford pickups and Saturn cars are the most popular with car thieves, according to APD figures.