Two major metal thieves arrested

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque police have arrested two major metal thieves.
   
Police say one of them has been tough to stop and the other stole from an officer's house.
    
Two men with two different cases, but they both left behind evidence that lead to their arrest.

Robert Chavez, 28, left behind a big clue a picture of his face.
    
Police say he was actually robbing the home of an officer, who had security cameras earlier this month.
    
Those pictures were given to local recyclers and within an hour a recycling company called police saying Chavez had sold them metal working about a $100.
    
Chavez was arrested on larceny charges Wednesday, no word on if his partner in crime has been caught yet.
    
Then there's the case of career criminal, 53-year-old Kenneth Abeyta.
    
Surveillance video shows a white truck, pulling up to blue sky distributing on Alameda last month.
    
Police say Abeyta caused a power outage and more than $1,500 in damage when he tried to steal copper.
    
He also cut himself, leaving blood. Police say DNA connected Abeyta to the crime.
    
And, now they're trying to connect him to last month's copper theft at hope Christian a white truck was also used in that burglary and that's why police say Abeyta spray painted his truck black.

“It was later found that he painted the whole thing black...he said he had people calling him saying hey that's your vehicle, that's your truck that we saw on the news,” Officer George Trujillo said.
    
Police say they're looking to see if Abeyta is connected to several recent copper thefts in the metro area.
     
Abeyta has been arrested close to 30 times on various charges.