A nighttime thief who stole thousands of dollars worth of patio furniture from Pacific Beach homes was sentenced July 5 to 270 days in jail.
Restitution was ordered to all 19 victims listed in the criminal complaint against Jose Ledesma Manjarrez, 44, by San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh, but the exact amount will be determined on July 24.
The sheriff’s department determined Thursday night that Manjarrez will be released from the South Bay Detention Facility on Sept. 23, as Walsh gave him credit for serving 112 days in jail.
Manjarrez’s attorney, Victoria Barana, disputed the restitution figure of $19,655.85, which was listed in the probation report. A probation officer told the judge she did not know how that figure was arrived at because she was adding up the figures in court and didn’t come up with that same amount.
The probation officer continued to use a calculator in court to add up the figures, and Walsh waited for the computations. After a few minutes, the judge said it would be better to hold a restitution hearing on July 24. Walsh said he would suspend all the various fines and fees so victims could be paid first.
Manjarrez was seen on home surveillance cameras as taking a wide variety of furniture in the middle of the night. He also took umbrellas, cactus plants, chairs, tables, sofas, a basketball hoop, a hammock, pillows, and just about anything else he could find, according to court records.
He pleaded guilty to five counts of grand theft, and 14 counts were dismissed on May 30.
“Mr. Manjarrez did steal thousands of dollars of patio furniture in Pacific Beach during the night,” said Barana. “We’re not trying to excuse these furniture thefts from these homes.”
Barana said he had no prior record and no history of violence. She said Manjarrez has “an immigration problem” and “his life will change significantly.” She didn’t go into specifics and could not be reached for comment afterwards.
If Manjarrez is not an American citizen, he could be deported now that he has five felony convictions. Manjarrez, wearing a tan jail uniform, said nothing while listening to the discussion with a Spanish speaking interpreter.
Deputy District Attorney Zachary Wallace said the plea agreement with his office called for a 270-day sentence, though the probation department recommended a higher sentence. Wallace said the thefts were “not a one time offense,” but repeated thefts over a long time period.
Walsh called Manjarrez’s conduct as “brazen,” noting that he struck in the middle of the night which he described as disturbing. Manjarrez did not enter inside any homes, and took items that were in back yards or porches. He sometimes put a box over outside lighting.
Walsh placed Manjarrez on three years probation with paying restitution as a requirement of probation. If he violates probation, he could be sentenced to state prison for five years and eight months.
Manjarrez loaded up the furniture and other items into a Green Ford Explorer with Baja California plates and sold all the stuff in Mexico. A Pacific Beach woman noticed his car parked in an alley at 1 a.m. and took a picture of the license plate. She gave it to police and his identify was confirmed.
San Diego Police stopped him on March 22, and his vehicle was impounded. He did not have any stolen furniture inside it at the time. He had just come back from Mexico after selling it.
None of the victims spoke at the sentencing.
