Two teenagers are now in custody after what deputies say was a short but busy run of early-morning smash-and-grab hits on dollar stores in Fabens. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has identified the suspects as 18-year-old Savaar Faircloth and 17-year-old Ivan Ruiz. Investigators say the pair targeted storefronts around 4 a.m., shattering glass doors, grabbing merchandise and taking off before officers could arrive.
Early-morning pattern
Investigators told KFOX14 the string of break-ins started with two hits at a Family Dollar earlier this month, followed by two more at a Dollar General. Each one, they say, landed at roughly the same time: around 4 a.m.
According to officials, surveillance video and witness statements showed two people dressed in black, smashing through front doors and hauling off merchandise. That consistent pre-dawn timing helped detectives connect all four cases and zero in on suspects.
Arrests and charges
Local booking records reviewed by NetNoticias show Ruiz was picked up on Wednesday afternoon, while Faircloth was arrested the next morning during what authorities described as a surveillance operation.
Both teens were booked into the El Paso County Downtown Jail on four counts each of burglary of a building, according to public jail records cited by NetNoticias. Ruiz was also booked on an additional drug charge and on a warrant dating back to September 2025. NetNoticias reports Faircloth is being held without bond, while Ruiz’s bond is set at $23,000.
A busy month for Fabens law enforcement
The dollar store burglaries are landing in the middle of an already hectic stretch for law enforcement in the Fabens area. Deputies have been working on several major investigations in recent weeks, including an unrelated aggravated robbery and shooting that drew in federal authorities.
Coverage republished from the El Paso Times notes that deputies and federal partners have stepped up enforcement efforts in east El Paso County this winter.
Retail-crime context
Smash-and-grab tactics - fast, destructive break-ins aimed at easy-to-resell goods - have pushed other states to create new task forces and tweak laws in an effort to rein in organized retail theft. Coordinated efforts between state agencies and retailers to investigate cases, stiffen penalties and recover stolen merchandise are becoming more common, according to state reporting from the Office of the Governor of California.
What comes next
Prosecutors in El Paso County are expected to handle the burglary charges, though court dates for Faircloth and Ruiz were not yet listed, according to local coverage. The Sheriff’s Office told reporters the case is still very much active as deputies continue reviewing surveillance footage and other evidence, KFOX14 reports.
