A routine visit to Chuze Fitness in Albuquerque took a harrowing turn for a local woman when her stolen purse and keys sparked a series of alarming events in April.
Albuquerque police report that upon discovering her belongings missing from Chuze Fitness along Central Avenue, the victim and her boyfriend swiftly headed home, aware that someone now had access to her keys. Upon arrival, they encountered Karen Haas attempting to abscond with their vehicle. In a desperate bid to prevent her escape, the victim’s boyfriend blocked Haas’s path with his own vehicle. In response, Haas resorted to ramming the parked vehicle multiple times, causing extensive damage worth thousands of dollars.
Despite the confrontation, Haas managed to flee the scene, allegedly with the assistance of a getaway driver waiting in a nearby white truck.
The ordeal didn’t end there for the victim. Discovering unauthorized charges on her stolen debit card at a nearby Walgreens added financial insult to injury. Matters worsened when she received notice from Costco that a check she had written for over $1,600 had bounced, implicating Haas in an attempted spending spree using the victim’s membership card.
Adding intrigue to the situation, Haas’s past legal entanglements resurfaced. State police had previously arrested her on DWI charges in 2021, though court records revealed the case had been dismissed. Notably, her defense attorney was identified as Thomas Clear III, a figure embroiled in the federal investigation into the Albuquerque police DWI scandal.
Facing a litany of charges including aggravated assault and nonresidential burglary, Haas is currently sought by Albuquerque police.