Criminal Damage To Property, <$1000

Legal Definition

A person commits criminal damage to property when they intentionally damage any real or personal property of another without the owner's consent. The offense involves destruction, defacement, or impairment of property through acts such as breaking, burning, or otherwise rendering the property less valuable or useful. The damage threshold under $1,000 distinguishes the severity level of the charge.

Possible Punishment

Up to 6 months in county jail and a fine up to $500. Criminal damage to property is classified as a petty misdemeanor when the total damage is less than $1,000. If the damage equals or exceeds $1,000, the offense escalates to a misdemeanor or fourth degree felony depending on the amount.

Property-Crime Cases in Doña Ana County

Property charges in New Mexico scale with dollar value and circumstances. The same shoplifting conduct can be a petty misdemeanor or a felony depending on the value of what was taken, and burglary escalates sharply when the structure is a home or someone is inside. That is why our charge database lists several versions of larceny and burglary with different classifications.

Property cases also drive a large share of repeat bookings: failure to appear on an older larceny case frequently brings someone back into the detention center on a bench warrant alongside any new charge.

Related Guides