Fresno County DA going after looters during coronavirus emergency, charges 3 suspects
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has filed felony looting charges against three suspects for breaking into cars and a business during the current coronavirus state of emergency.
The county declared a state of emergency five weeks ago to combat the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19, the coronavirus. As a result, many non-essential businesses have been shuttered and hundreds of people are out of work.
Steve Wright, assistant district attorney, said state law allows for a specific looting charge to be applied when a crime is committed during a state of emergency, local emergency or evacuation order.
“The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting the citizens of Fresno County who are being victimized during these especially trying times,” Wright said in a statement. “And we will continue to file charges of looting in the appropriate circumstances in order to hold criminal offenders accountable for their actions.”
Felony looting carries a much stiffer sentence than typical felony second-degree burglary or grand theft. And the suspects are not eligible to be released under the recent Emergency Bail Schedule that set bail at $0 for most offenses.
For people charged with felony looting, bail will range from $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the specific charges.
Alleged looting described
One of the looting suspects, Gilbert Ramirez, is accused of breaking into the International Recycling Co. on Golden State Boulevard. Ramirez allegedly used the company’s forklift to carry away stolen items.
In another incident, Stanley Ireland is accused of breaking into a car and stealing the victim’s personal items. Ireland has three other cases pending: felony evading, felony DUI causing injury and a misdemeanor DUI.
In the third case, Pablo Garcia, who has a residential burglary case pending, allegedly stole a victim’s work truck from his driveway.
March case in Kingsburg
The DA’s office also is looking at an earlier case of alleged looting in Kingsburg.
Kingsburg police arrested three people on March 20 in connection with break-ins at Walmart and Save Mart stores in the city.
Friday, Wright said one of the three, Ryan Tedesco of Ceres, posted bail and has a June court date. “A looting charge is certainly one that we are looking at to see if it is supported by the evidence,” Wright said.
It was determined the other two people in the Kingsburg case were not involved in the thefts and were only arrested on drug possession charges, Wright said.
