The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office announced that 34-year-old Anthony Rodriguez, a repeat offender, has been convicted of felony grand theft and violated probation from a previous similar charge. The conviction stems from an incident on January 16, when Rodriguez stole nearly $1,700 worth of merchandise from Home Depot in Riverbank. District Attorney Jeff Laugero stated that Rodriguez's arrest was due to the diligent efforts of the Organized Retail Theft Taskforce, according to a statement from Stanislaus County District Attorney's Facebook post.
The incident unfolded after the @stancosheriff was alerted to the theft in progress. A detective with the taskforce witnessed Rodriguez loading the stolen goods into his vehicle and managed to apprehend him shortly thereafter during a traffic stop. With the evidence presented, the jury handed down a conviction that could lead to Rodriguez serving a maximum sentence of 3 years and 8 months. Deputy District Attorney Fawn Smolak prosecuted this case, representing the people.
Rodriguez is scheduled for sentencing, where he will learn the length of his prison time. In response to recent events, the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office is reaffirming its commitment to prosecuting retail theft. Media inquiries regarding the case can be directed to [email protected].
