Property crime detectives had been investigating a crime series where a male driving a silver Chevrolet Tahoe was observed repeatedly stealing commercial-grade landscaping equipment/tools from parked trucks in west Garden Grove and Anaheim neighborhoods, according to the Garden Grove Police Department.
The suspect would stop next to the victim’s truck, unload the property from the open beds or trailers, then transfer it to his own vehicle, leaving devastated victims who rely on these tools to earn their living.
During the investigation, the police detectives were able to obtain the suspect’s license plate and ID the suspect as Jorje Carbajal, a 35-year-old resident of Anaheim.
Yesterday, May 9, 2024, Carbajal was located in Anaheim and taken into custody, without incident. He was later booked into Orange County Jail and charged with Grand Theft.
Grand theft is committed when someone steals property (or services) from another without consent having an intrinsic value exceeding $950. The value of services, labor, or property must exceed $950 or the crime is petty theft, according to the Law Offices of John D. Rogers. It’s not uncommon for someone arrested for grand theft to face additional charges of burglary, petty theft, shoplifting, receiving stolen property, and even robbery if force or threats were used to carrying out the theft.
Grand theft is punishable by either a felony or misdemeanor. A misdemeanor carries up to one (1) year in the county jail. A felony sentence carries up to three (3) years in county jail.[7] The court will also order restitution to be paid back to your accuser for any financial loss. In addition, grand theft charges are a crime of moral turpitude and may result in adverse effects to those holding a state issued license or seeking US citizenship. Sentencing enhancement may apply if the value of the property or service was in excess of $100,000. Consequently, a conviction would require a mandatory state prison sentence.
