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Dan Berrey Harkey was arrested this week for breaking into two lockers at a 24-Hour Fitness gym in Irvine. He attempted to rummage through a third locker, but a witness confronted Harkey, so he took off with the cash that he had found in the other two lockers, about $180. He got away before police arrived, but witnesses had seen his license plate. After investigators found out where Harkey lived, they arrested him on suspicion of burglary and possession of burglary tools. He was using bolt cutters and a pry bar to break into the lockers.

Burglary is the entering of a structure with the intent to commit a felony. Here, since Harkey brought burglary tools into the gym, it is clear that he had the intent to commit a burglary. If Harkey is convicted of this burglary charge, it can count as a strike on his criminal record. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Mission Viejo or Anaheim, if you are charged with burglary, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Carlos Rosario Gonzales was convicted this week of murdering a bouncer at a topless nightclub in Santa Ana in 2006. Gonzales, a construction worker at the time of the incident, got off of work and went to the nightclub with some of his co-workers. While there, he allegedly touched an employee inappropriately and was then escorted out by bouncer Michael Blackenhorn. A fight erupted and Gonzales got a gun from his toolbox and shot Blackenhorn, who died two days later in the hospital. Since he was convicted of first-degree murder with enhancements for using a gun, Gonzales faces from 50 years to life in prison.

Gonzales clearly had anger issues that erupted on the night of the incident. If you know you have anger problems, it is best not to own a gun. It is unlikely that Gonzales would have been able to murder Blackenhorn if it were not for the gun he had. If you are charged with murder, you will immediately be arrested and subject to questioning. Do not speak with officers until an attorney is present. If you can afford an attorney, hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in investigating the charges and preparing a defense.

Whether you live in Orange, Brea or La Palma, if you are charged with murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Oscar David Duenas has been arrested on suspicion of raping 3 prostitutes in the Garden Grove area in the last month. Allegedly, Duenas would pick up prostitutes along Harbor Boulevard in Westminster and then take them to a secluded area and rape them. These prostitutes reported the sexual assaults and an investigator noticed that the description of the crime and the suspect matched other rape complaints. Police arrested Duenas last week on rape charges and he is expected to be arraigned next week on charges of rape, false imprisonment and robbery.

Often, prostitutes are afraid to report physical or sexual abuse because of their illegal occupation. Here, it is not clear if the prostitutes will be charged or if there is a credibility issue due to their profession. If you are charged with rape, an experienced attorney will investigate the claims and the evidence against you. If there is a credibility issue with the witnesses, the defense attorney will use that to your advantage in hopefully lowering or dropping the charges against you. Whether you live in Irvine, Aliso Viejo or Fullerton, if you are charged with rape, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in your legal matters.

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Miguel Angel Magallon was convicted of murder and sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of a Los Angeles Police officer. On August 10, 2004, Magallon and an accomplice were driving when they saw Officer Sparks on a bike ride. They got out of the car and tried to rob him. Magallon then shot Sparkes before driving off. The officer quickly called 911 and said “Officer Down.” Before help could arrive, Magallon drove back around to Sparkes and shot him again. Magallon drove off and officers arrived and took Sparkes to the hospital, where he died.

Eventually, Magallon was found and was charged with first degree murder and second degree robbery. The jury convicted Magallon of these charges as well as the sentencing enhancements of committing a crime for the benefit of a street gang and possession of a firearm.

A prosecutor will always try to claim that any gang member who commits a crime, commits it for the benefit of a gang. A good defense attorney will argue that that is not always the case. With gang enhancements dropped, a defendant will get a lower sentence. If you are charged with gang charges, robbery or murder, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Ronaldo Celedon Vicente was convicted this week of first degree residential burglary, attempted rape and assault with intent to commit rape. In 2008, Vicente, an unemployed laborer, saw a path of empty beer cans and Cheetos in the front yard of an Anaheim home. He followed the trail and it led him to an open window on the side of the house. Inside, he saw a half naked woman and thought she wanted to have sex with him. He crawled through the window and was about to have sex with the woman, when her husband woke up and yelled. The husband and wife then beat up the intruder and held him until police came and arrested him.

Vicente’s defense was that he was so severely intoxicated that he did not know what he was doing and therefore did not have the intent to rape her. Hours after he was arrested, police checked Vicente’s blood alcohol level and it was at a .22%. The jury ruled against the defendant and convicted him of all the above charges. He may be sentenced to life in prison since this was a felony burglary and rape.

Burglary is the act of entering someone’s home with the intent to commit a crime while inside. Possible defenses include the lack of intent, a mistake of fact and consent. Whether you live in Orange, Brea or Santa Ana, if you are charged with burglary or rape, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

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This week, agents noticed an SUV driving on the I-5 Freeway that was not handling well, so they followed the car for about 20 minutes. They developed reasonable suspicion that something was wrong, and stopped the car. After speaking with the driver, they saw several bundles of marijuana inside the vehicle. The driver, an illegal immigrant, was arrested immediately. Drug Enforcement Agents searched the car and found about 30 bundles of marijuana weighing about 839 pounds, inside the vehicle. The estimated street value if those drugs had been sold would have been about $500,000.

Possession of marijuana with the intent to sell is a serious crime. Often, the drivers have no plan to sell the drugs and are often just making a delivery for someone else. Unfortunately for this driver, if he is convicted of this crime, he is likely facing a long time in prison. A good defense attorney may be able to argue that the search was illegal by questioning officers about the purpose of the traffic stop. If the search was unlawful, the fruits of the search (the drugs) would not be admissible in trial as evidence and charges would likely be dropped.

Whether you live in Orange, Garden Grove or San Clemente, if you are charged with drug possession, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Jason Le Tran was arrested this week on suspicion of using stolen credit cards to buy over $11,000 worth of makeup. Tran was using stolen credit car information from around the U.S. and then ordering makeup online through Sephora’s website. The stolen goods were shipped to three apartments in Costa Mesa and to his partner in Vietnam. The products were then sold on eBay. Tran was caught after a detective posed as a delivery man and observed Tran picking up the stolen goods. After searching his house, detectives found about $4,000 worth of unopened makeup, so they quickly arrested him. He will be charged with identity theft and grand theft.

Identity theft is the taking of someone’s name or personal information to use it for an unlawful purpose. If you are a victim of identity theft, this site contains useful tips on how to handle the matter. If you are a suspect of identity theft, you will likely be charged with a felony and are looking at serious prison time. Whether you live in Anaheim, Laguna Wood, and Irvine, if you are charged with identity theft or any other type of fraud, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

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Kelly Christine Alaniz, a bus driver for Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, has been arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary. Allegedly, Alaniz was in the girl’s locker room when an employee saw her looking through someone’s purse. The students who play sports often leave their purses and personal belongings in the locker room during practice or games. The employee reported what they witnessed Alaniz doing and an investigation started. Police found out that earlier in that week, another student had reported that $150 had gone missing from her purse that she left in the locker room. The crime is still being investigated and she has not yet been charged.

Commercial burglary usually involves the theft of items inside of a non-residential building. The prosecution must prove that the person came into the building with the intent to commit the crime. If the value of the item stolen is less than $400, it is normally treated as a misdemeanor charge. Whether you live in Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch or Yorba Linda, if you are charged with burglary, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Last week, the La Habra Police Department was looking into a possible case of animal cruelty. Allegedly, an off-duty firefighter was at home with his girlfriend, when his girlfriend’s dog came up to him and bit him. He got so angry that he punched the dog. The dog was severely injured so the veterinarian decided to euthanize the dog. Once the investigation is complete, if there is enough evidence to prove the firefighter did this, he will be charged with animal cruelty.

Animal cruelty can be an infraction, a misdemeanor or a felony. Most of the time, this charge is accompanied by a fine. In extreme cases, there will be prison time for the offense. Here, it seemed like an accident that occurred out of anger and will likely just be a misdemeanor violation. Whether you live in Irvine, Laguna Niguel or Villa Park, if you are charged with animal cruelty, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Rigoberto Contreras, of Santa Ana, was in the Piccolo Bar on Sunday night. Allegedly, Contreras was harassing female employees at the bar so the security guard told him to leave. While Contreras was being escorted out, he started becoming violent with the security guard and called out to his friends at the bar to help him. About six men got into the fight and started assaulting the guard. At one point, Contreras grabbed the security officer’s baton and started hurting him with it. Police arrived and the security guard and Contreras were taken to the hospital. Contreras was then arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and is now in jail on $25,000 bail.

Assault with a deadly weapon is defined as an assault done with a deadly weapon or with an amount of force that is likely to cause great bodily injury. Assault with a deadly weapon can be a misdemeanor or felony and penalties depend on the type of weapon used and the amount of harm to the victim. Additionally, a conviction could lead to a strike under the California Three Strike’s law. Whether you live in Tustin, Newport Beach or Fullerton, if you are charged with assault, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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