After California’s Proposition 36 went into effect last week, shoplifting suspects with prior theft convictions could face felony charges, authorities announced.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies responded Monday to a report of a theft in progress at the Ulta Beauty store in the 12000 block of Foothill Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga.
The suspect, later identified as Angelina Herrera, 40, of San Bernardino, “hidden items in a backpack inside the store,” the sheriff’s office said.
She was then contacted by a police officer who determined she was in possession of stolen property.
Herrera, who has an “extensive criminal history, including prior theft convictions,” was booked into the West Valley Detention Center, authorities said.
The Sheriff’s Department said Proposition 36, titled the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, includes several new criminal and health and safety laws that sheriffs can apply during arrests if necessary.
“These new charges not only enhance sentencing, but also prevent offenders from being released before appearing in court,” the sheriff’s office said.
Herrera was charged with violating Article 666.1 of the Penal Code. The law allows shoplifting to be charged as a felony or misdemeanor if the defendant has two or more prior convictions, regardless of the amount of the alleged theft.
If convicted again, the offender could be sentenced to up to a year in county jail.
