Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer Blog

According to KTLA, two Long Beach residents have been arrested on a suspicion of committing burglaries on the campuses of UCLA, UC Irvine and several other University of California campuses.

If you have been charged with burglary it is important to contact an aggressive Los Angeles burglary defense lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights and begin preparing your defense.

Under California law, burglary is considered a type of theft crime. Burglary is defined as entering into a building with the intent to commit a crime - typically grand theft or petty theft. Grand theft applies to cases where the value of the item stolen is in excess of $400. In burglary cases, the prosecution need not prove that the accused actually committed a crime, just that the intent to do so existed. Burglary may be classified as first-degree or second-degree. First-degree burglary involves entering into a person's home with the intent to commit a crime, whereas second-degree burglary usually involves entering a persons business or a commercial building. First-degree burglary is always considered a strike under California's Three Strikes law. Second-degree burglary may be charged as a felony or misdemeanor.

UC Irvine police arrested Karim Patrice Davis and Angie Latoya Gray after obtaining search warrants based on information obtained by tracking credit cards. If convicted, they face potential prison time, restitution, steep fines and potential restrictions on their ability to work.

Davis and Gray are also suspected of committing burglaries at Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Fullerton.

Two other men - Jacob Amir Qureshi and Jason Walker - who were with Davis and Grey were arrested on outstanding misdemeanor warrants. Outstanding warrants are serious matters that need to be taken seriously. Many people believe that outstanding warrants may disappear with time. This is not the case. Outstanding warrants need to be taken care of - otherwise law enforcement has permission to arrest you immediately. Incidents that might not typically land you in jail may result in incarceration if the warrant is not resolved.

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The Sacramento Bee reports that a North Hollywood man, Kurt Billie, has been charged with setting 10 fires in 3 days in the San Fernando Valley. The fires are considered part of a larger arson spree that caused nearly $1 million damage. The main target of the fires were vehicles, including motor homes, cars and trucks, but an apartment building was also damaged

If you have been charged on a suspicion of any crime, including arson, it is important to contact an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer immediately to protect your rights and begin preparing your defense.

Arson charges, no matter the surrounding circumstances are serious criminal allegations. California Code section 451 defines arson as the act of willfully and maliciously setting fire to any structure or property. Arson can be either simple or aggravated. Here, Billie was charged with 20 felony courts of arson and one count of aggravated arson. The aggravated arson charge result from a previous charge of arson in Japan. If convicted, he faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. His bail was set at $2 million pending arraignment.

Continue reading "North Hollywood Man Charged In Los Angeles Arsons" »