Man Charged With Looting During an Emergency After Breaking Into Covelo Business
This is a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Neil Bruce Waldron
On 04-17-2020 at about 2:54 AM, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a reported burglary in progress at the Village Hearth business in Covelo, California.
Deputies arrived finding the front door open and a window broken with the business in complete disarray.
The owner of the store responded and advised an Apple IPAD was missing from the store. The value of the stolen IPAD and damage to the store was estimated at about $1,300.00 in total.
Also located at the store on the floor was a black color pellet rifle, which did not belong to the store.
Deputies contacted Neil Bruce Waldron as he was in the area at the time of the reported burglaries. He was wearing a black baseball cap, black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and light color boots.
Deputies learned Waldron was on active summary probation out of Mendocino County and had prior arrests for commercial burglaries in Covelo.
While investigating this incident, Deputies learned that Keith’s Market (Covelo business) had also been broken into.
Deputies observed the east breezeway doors had been broken. The glass on one of the entry doors was completely shattered and the glass on the secondary entrance door was cracked. Deputies observed a carton of Marlboro Cigarettes lying on the ground inside of the breezeway itself and the door leading into the store from the breezeway was shattered as well.
The store manager responded and reviewed store video surveillance footage with the Deputies.
Deputies observed Waldron who was wearing a black baseball hat, black hooded sweatshirt and jeans holding a black pellet rifle. He shatter[ed] the glass to the door leading into the store prior to entering the business.
The Deputies identified the black pellet rifle as the same pellet rifle located inside of the Village Hearth on the floor.
Waldron was observed on camera taking alcoholic beverages, and cigarettes from inside the store and then leaving.
The total value of the items taken was valued at about $630.92 and the damage to the store was estimated at $4,000.00 in repair costs.
Due to the current declared state, local and federal emergency and the shelter in place order due to the COVID-19 crisis, Waldron was subsequently placed under arrest for 463 PC (Looting), two counts of 459/460(B) PC (Second Degree Burglary) and 1203. 2 PC (Violation of Probation).
Waldron was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $20,000.00 bail.
Deputies were later dispatched to another commercial burglary at a business in Covelo. Investigations are ongoing to determine if Waldron is connected with this additional burglary.
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whats the emergency?
Cigs and booze.
This is what a liberal shooting himself in the foot sounds like.
Uh…hello….there is this thing called Coronavirus.
Does the law allow looters to be shot on sight?
It certainly would save on investigation time, lower incarceration numbers and permanently get the criminal off the streets. That’s a start!
Looting, also referred to as sacking, ransacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging, is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as war, natural disaster, or rioting.
This is a really bad time to commit any kind of theft or burglary.
(a) Every person who violates Section 459 , punishable as a second-degree burglary pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 461 , during and within an affected county in a “state of emergency” or a “local emergency,” or under an “evacuation order,” resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster shall be guilty of the crime of looting, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 . Any person convicted under this subdivision who is eligible for probation and who is granted probation shall, as a condition thereof, be confined in a county jail for at least 180 days, except that the court may, in the case where the interest of justice would best be served, reduce or eliminate that mandatory jail sentence, if the court specifies on the record and enters into the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interest of justice would best be served by that disposition. In addition to whatever custody is ordered, the court, in its discretion, may require any person granted probation following conviction under this subdivision to serve up to 240 hours of community service in any program deemed appropriate by the court, including any program created to rebuild the community.
For purposes of this subdivision, the fact that the structure entered has been damaged by the earthquake, fire, flood, or other natural or manmade disaster shall not, in and of itself, preclude conviction.
(b) Every person who commits the crime of grand theft, as defined in Section 487 or subdivision (a) of Section 487a , except grand theft of a firearm, during and within an affected county in a “state of emergency” or a “local emergency,” or under an “evacuation order,” resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or unnatural disaster shall be guilty of the crime of looting, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 . Every person who commits the crime of grand theft of a firearm, as defined in Section 487 , during and within an affected county in a “state of emergency” or a “local emergency” resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or unnatural disaster shall be guilty of the crime of looting, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 489 . Any person convicted under this subdivision who is eligible for probation and who is granted probation shall, as a condition thereof, be confined in a county jail for at least 180 days, except that the court may, in the case where the interest of justice would best be served, reduce or eliminate that mandatory jail sentence, if the court specifies on the record and enters into the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interest of justice would best be served by that disposition. In addition to whatever custody is ordered, the court, in its discretion, may require any person granted probation following conviction under this subdivision to serve up to 160 hours of community service in any program deemed appropriate by the court, including any program created to rebuild the community.
(c) Every person who commits the crime of petty theft, as defined in Section 488 , during and within an affected county in a “state of emergency” or a “local emergency,” or under an “evacuation order,” resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for six months. Any person convicted under this subdivision who is eligible for probation and who is granted probation shall, as a condition thereof, be confined in a county jail for at least 90 days, except that the court may, in the case where the interest of justice would best be served, reduce or eliminate that mandatory minimum jail sentence, if the court specifies on the record and enters into the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interest of justice would best be served by that disposition. In addition to whatever custody is ordered, the court, in its discretion, may require any person granted probation following conviction under this subdivision to serve up to 80 hours of community service in any program deemed appropriate by the court, including any program created to rebuild the community.
(d)(1) For purposes of this section, “state of emergency” means conditions that, by reason of their magnitude, are, or are likely to be, beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat.
(2) For purposes of this section, “local emergency” means conditions that, by reason of their magnitude, are, or are likely to be, beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat.
(3) For purposes of this section, a “state of emergency” shall exist from the time of the proclamation of the condition of the emergency until terminated pursuant to Section 8629 of the Government Code . For purposes of this section only, a “local emergency” shall exist from the time of the proclamation of the condition of the emergency by the local governing body until terminated pursuant to Section 8630 of the Government Code .
(4) For purposes of this section, “evacuation order” means an order from the Governor, or a county sheriff, chief of police, or fire marshal, under which persons subject to the order are required to relocate outside of the geographic area covered by the order due to an imminent danger resulting from an earthquake, fire, flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster.
(5) Consensual entry into a commercial structure with the intent to commit a violation of Section 470 , 476 , 476a , 484f , or 484g shall not be charged as a violation under this section.
Or, they just let him go like everyone else. Quote all the laws and ordinances you want, if the jail doesn’t want him, he is out. Or, due to little politicians not having any fortitude, cave to their pagan masters.
that is not better said!
Don’t worry, he’s been locked up tight.
This guy went to trial Wednesday. He demanded a jury trial, as is his right. I had to testify because I own one of the buildings he broke into. I have no idea what he hoped to accomplish with a jury trial since they got him on the Keith’s security video. He was convicted on all counts: 2 burglary charges with special enhancement for it being during an emergency. He has been in custody & remains there until his sentencing in October.
I looked this guy up. His record justifies that he needs whatever is coming to him. So much is going on criminally during these fires, pandemic. I applaud our law enforcement for doing as good a job as they can given the circumstances they are up against. God bless and protect our law enforcement.