Source: https://www.greghillassociates.com/gardena-tampering-with-a-vehicle-vc-10852-infraction.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 04:35:18+00:00

Document:
Our client, age 23, and two of his friends were high on marijuana and drunk. As they were walking home, through a parking lot of a large apartment complex, a woman in her car, talking on her cell phone noticed the trio looking into parked cars.
Without All the Details, What Happened?: Gardena, client one of three defendants charged with tampering with a vehicle (Vehicle Code § 10852), case reduced to infraction for disturbing the peace (Penal Code § 415(2)).
The woman then allegedly saw our client open a car door and take something. She saw him do it to three different cars. She also allegedly saw the other two young men open other cars and try to open other car doors, too.
She called the police, who coincidentally were entering the parking lot for a unrelated report of loud music. When police spotted our client and his two friends, the trio ran through the apartment complex and back to the apartment of one of the three. Police eventually found our client about thirty minutes later as he was walking home, believing the police had left.
The owners of the cars reported cash, sunglasses, cd-roms and cologne missing from the cars. Some of the items were found scattered throughout the apartment complex along the route that our client fled.
Our client was booked and cited for violations of petty theft (Penal Code § 484), aiding and abetting (Penal Code § 659) and tampering with a vehicle (Vehicle Code § 10852).
Lucky for our client, two of his friends had prior criminal histories and they confessed while in the police car, while our client remained silent.
The client came to our office worried that a conviction for a theft offense would cause him to lose his job at a local restaurant and render his degree from El Camino College a waste of time.
Greg listened to the story from the client and his concerns.
The criminal case was filed in Torrance Superior Court. The Gardena City Attorney quickly made it known that our client was not the “target defendant,” but wanted to know why she should resolve the case for our client with leniency.
Greg prepared a Defense Position Letter, outlining all areas of the police report that were ambiguous or simply wrong insofar as they concerned our client and why the female witness’ account was rebuttable. Included with the letter was a presentation of our client, who only had a prior history for possession of marijuana, and why the theft allegations were damaging to his future.
The Gardena City Prosecutor agreed to offer our client a deal wherein if he performed ten days of community service, paid a $300 fine (no penalties and assessments added) and the City of Gardena booking fee, she would reduce the charges to an infraction for violating Penal Code § 415(2). The client agreed to this disposition, which was the best deal of the three defendants.
The client then completed the terms of the plea bargain and, one year later, the charges were reduced to a mere infraction for disturbing the peace. The client was happy with this result.

References: § 10852
 § 415
 § 484
 § 659
 § 10852
 § 415