A La Mesa burglar has been sentenced to 22 years and eight months in state prison after he pleaded guilty to eight residential burglaries in which he posed as a maintenance worker.

Corey Omar Henson, 47, of San Diego, pleaded guilty to all the charges filed against him after he was arrested by La Mesa Police in Feb., 2020. He stole purses, cash, and other belongings after gaining access to apartments.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Rachel Cano said Henson will not be paroled until he is in his mid 60s. She gave him credit for serving 870 days in jail since his arrest.

The daughter of one victim, Joanna Anaya, spoke remotely from her computer at home, saying her mother “will never be the same” and is “under panic mode all the time,” as “she lives with terror.”

“I will pray for you so you will change your path,” said Anaya to Henson.

Cano ordered Henson to pay Anaya’s mother $5,082 in restitution, and $1,550 to other victims. Henson was fined $1,380. Several burglaries in the series occurred in El Cajon and San Diego.

Henson did not address the court.

Henson’s lawyer, Al Arena, said his client was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corp and had served in the Middle East.

Arena asked the judge if he could serve some of his sentence in fire camp which was objected to by Deputy District Attorney James Koerber. It was denied by Cano. Fire camp is intended for inmates with much shorter sentences who wish to volunteer to help put out wildfires and is dangerous work.

Neal Putnam is a local court reporter.

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