Two men, ages 20 and 17, have been taken into police custody for their alleged involvement in a string of residential burglaries in northern Orange County. Authorities state that the 20-year-old man admitted to committing 11 burglaries and 10 attempted burglaries in Placentia between October and late December. He reportedly further confessed to other acts of robbery in parts of Orange County, which are currently under investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Reports indicate that the man is in Orange County Jail with bail set at $20,000 for possession of stolen property and possession of cocaine on top of theft charges.
His 17-year-old alleged accomplice was taken into custody on the afternoon of Jan 6. Police officers asserted that he was caught inside a car wash after a short foot chase and that he confessed to multiple counts of burglary. According to investigators, a search warrant was served at the assumed residence of one of the men. Police claim that several items from the alleged burglaries were recovered from the address.
Depending on the value of the property involved in theft charges, burglaries may be considered felonies or misdemeanors. California law defines a felony as any criminal offense with a possible punishment of more than one year in state prison upon conviction while a misdemeanor has a possible sentence of one year or less in a county jail. Either conviction has the potential of causing difficulties in future employment as employers may struggle trusting those with a theft record.
A defendant against either type of charge may be able to dispute the accusations with the help of a defense attorney. In the event of a conviction, an attorney may be able to negotiate for alternative sentencing, such as community service, especially when the defendant is of a young age.
Source: California Legal Reference, “California Penal Code,” 2010.
Source: KABC, “Placentia cat burglaries: 2 arrested for multiple break-ins“, January 07, 2014