Serial California Shoplifter To Stand Trial After 90 Arrests

Authored by Micaela Ricaforte via The Epoch Times,

A serial shoplifter from the Bay Area who has been arrested 90 times will be put to trial this week after the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office filed a complaint against him - consolidating 31 misdemeanors from the past year.

Jesse Leonardo Otero, 44, is well-known by Bay Area businesses and law enforcement for his frequent shoplifting and arrests, local news outlet KRON reported.

Mr. Otero was released Dec. 8 from the Martinez Detention Facility on misdemeanor charges, according to KRON.

But just a few hours later, he was arrested outside a Pleasant Hill shopping center near San Francisco's Tenderloin District.

He is homeless and sustains a drug addiction through shoplifting and selling stolen goods, according to media reports.

Despite his extensive criminal record, Mr. Otero avoids lengthy jail sentences because most shoplifting offenses are now classified as misdemeanors if the stolen merchandise amounts to less than $950.

Because of this, police departments are compelled to issue citations rather than detain Mr. Otero despite his repeated criminal history.

Police officer Jacob Williams told KRON4, “Prop 47 took away one of the main tools for shoplifting that was used pretty frequently – that being (penal code) 666. So, prior convictions or other instances of shoplift were used to ensure that this person was actually booked into jail.”

Williams continued:

“Nowadays, with the way that the filing standards have changed and the law is written, if it’s a petty theft under $950, he’s given the same ticket that you would get for running a stop sign.

So that person is no longer booked into jail based off the shoplift alone — even if we are aware of prior convictions on his criminal history.

His latest arrest follows a Nov. 21 arrest in South San Francisco after a theft at a mall, when he attempted to evade police by running onto an interstate highway before being detained.

A few days later, Mr. Otero reportedly stole $340 worth of items from an East San Francisco bike store.

“It doesn’t matter whether you steal $10, or $100. All this stuff adds up. By the end of the year, you have a big loss. And for small businesses, I mean, we’re trying to survive,” one store owner told KRON4.