A prolific thief who took patio furniture from Pacific Beach homes will be sentenced July 5 and the probation department is contacting victims for their input.
Some residents had security camera video of Jose Luis Ledesma Manjarrez, 44, in the middle of the night as he took patio furniture, umbrellas, and even cactus plants from back yards and porches in a series that started in Oct., 2016.
Manjarrez loaded the furniture and items into a green Ford Explorer and sold the goods in Mexico. He may be ordered to pay all the victims back as part of the sentence.
Manjarrez pleaded guilty May 30 to five felony counts of grand theft and 14 charges were dismissed by San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh. Manjarrez was arrested May 17 by San Diego Police and remains in jail without bail.
Court records say he faces a maximum sentence of five years and eight months in prison. The District Attorney’s office has agreed not to ask for more than 270 days in jail.
Among items taken were a basketball hoop, pillows, a multi-colored hammock, a Martha Stewart wicker loveseat, Sheffield chairs and table, cast iron chairs, Adirondack chairs, and a 5-foot long wooden bench, according to court records.
Manjarrez was seen on video taking off his shoes to lessen noise. He also would put a cardboard box over lighting. One resident noticed his parked SUV with its lights and engine off at 1 a.m. in an alley, and she took a picture of the Baja California license plate.
Probation officials are determining what the total loss is. The streets listed in court records where thefts occurred include Oliver Avenue, Soledad Road, Opal Street, Law Street, Reed Avenue, Beryl Street, Chalcedony Street, Fogg Street, Magnolia Avenue, Pendleton Street, Emerald Street and Buena Vista Street.
Police were alerted after Manjarrez crossed the border at 3 a.m. on March 22. He was stopped on Mission Bay Drive. There was no furniture in the SUV, but it had padded blankets, a bag of ratchet straps the rear seats were folded in a flat position.
Manjarrez has no prior record. Deputy District Attorney Allen Brown said June 21 there was a problem with the statue of limitations on some of the thefts because its value was less than $950 and was considered a misdemeanor. Felony grand theft charges were filed where the furniture thefts were greater than $950 and some misdemeanors that occurred within the last year.
