Yucca Valley saw the practical implications of Proposition 36 in action during a recent shoplifting incident at a local Walmart Supercenter. On the evening of January 31st, San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies arrested 47-year-old Casey Moses for theft, applying enhanced sentencing measures due to his previous convictions. The SBSD Morongo Basin Sheriff's Department detailed the arrest in a report, highlighting how Proposition 36, also known as "The Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act," is being wielded by law enforcement.

Deputies were called to the Walmart located at 58501 29 Palms Highway around 10:25 p.m. on the heels of a theft report. The suspect, later identified as Moses, had been spotted leaving the store with a shopping cart full of unpaid merchandise. Arriving deputies started a search for a White male adult, who ran to an open lot upon noticing them, trying to conceal himself behind a Joshua Tree, as reported by the SBSD Morongo Basin Sheriff's Department.

Under the recently enacted Proposition 36, Moses, who had two prior theft convictions, is now facing a felony charge—specifically PC 666.1(A)(1), Theft with Two Prior Convictions. "Deputies took Moses into custody and Walmart Supercenter Loss Prevention confirmed the stolen items were in the shopping cart where Moses was located," stated a report by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.