People v. Mireles

229 Cal. Rptr. 3d 904, 21 Cal. App. 5th 237
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedMarch 12, 2018
DocketB276786
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 229 Cal. Rptr. 3d 904 (People v. Mireles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Mireles, 229 Cal. Rptr. 3d 904, 21 Cal. App. 5th 237 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinions

JOHNSON, J.

*240Belinda Reyes (Reyes), a Home Depot asset protection specialist, and Clifton *906Roth (Roth), a sales associate, watched Kevin Mireles (Mireles) place a universal product code (UPC) sticker for a $4.47 bottle of roach killer on a $39.98 bottle of weed killer, pay $4.47 at a self-checkout station for the $39.98 product, and walk out of the store. Reyes and Roth followed Mireles outside, where Reyes confronted Mireles and a scuffle ensued. Police arrested Mireles; the People charged him with, and a jury convicted him of, second degree robbery under Penal Code section 212.5, subdivision (c),1 as construed in People v. Estes (1983) 147 Cal.App.3d 23, 194 Cal.Rptr. 909.

Mireles appeals from his robbery conviction. He contends the trial court improperly excluded evidence of a prosecution witness's prior felony convictions and improperly admitted evidence of Mireles's prior criminal conduct in violation of Evidence Code section 352, the trial court improperly admitted testimony from an undisclosed rebuttal witness contrary to Penal Code section 1054.1, and the cumulative effect of the trial court's errors deprived him of a fair trial. We requested supplemental briefing from the parties as to whether Mireles's conduct as charged and tried could constitute robbery in light of People v. Williams (2013) 57 Cal.4th 776, 161 Cal.Rptr.3d 81, 305 P.3d 1241 ( Williams ).

We hold that Mireles's conduct constitutes robbery and that the trial court did not err with respect to the challenged evidentiary and discovery rulings. Accordingly, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

I. The robbery

On August 18, 2015, Mireles entered a Home Depot store in Signal Hill. Reyes watched Mireles take a bottle of weed killer-a "high-theft" item-from the shelf, pull a UPC sticker from his pocket, put it on the weed killer bottle, and scan the bottle at a self-checkout station. The $39.98 bottle of weed killer scanned for $4.47. Mireles paid the $4.47 and exited the store.

Reyes asked Roth to accompany her as an "approach witness" as she followed Mireles from the store and confronted him about the theft. Reyes identified herself to Mireles as "loss prevention" and told him to return the weed killer. When Mireles did not comply, Reyes reached for Mireles's hand *241and Mireles swung his closed fist at Reyes. Dennis Bott (Bott) approached the Home Depot entrance just as the confrontation unfolded. Bott put his cane around Mireles and restrained him until police arrived.

II. The trial

The People charged Mireles with one count of second degree robbery under section 212.5, subdivision (c). Mireles pleaded not guilty, and the case proceeded to a jury trial on July 20, 21, and 22, 2016.

At trial, the court granted the People's motion to preclude evidence of Bott's past criminal conduct and denied Mireles's motion to preclude evidence of Mireles's past criminal conduct. The court admitted evidence detailing Mireles's past criminal conduct. Additionally, the trial court allowed Roth to testify for the prosecution as a rebuttal witness over Mireles's objection that the People had not earlier identified Roth as a potential witness. Mireles testified on his own behalf. While he admitted to stealing the bottle of weed killer, Mireles disputed using any "force, fear, or *907intimidation to get away with the weed killer."

The jury found Mireles guilty of second degree robbery. The trial court placed Mireles on formal probation for three years with various conditions, including 90 days in county jail with credit for time served and good behavior, and 60 days of Caltrans work. Mireles timely appealed.

DISCUSSION

I. Mireles was properly convicted of robbery

Mireles argues that under the teaching of Williams , supra , 57 Cal.4th 776, 161 Cal.Rptr.3d 81, 305 P.3d 1241, his crime was not theft by larceny, but theft by false pretenses. As a theft by false pretenses is not a " 'felonious taking,' " Mireles contends that the People failed to prove one of the essential elements of robbery2 and, as a result, his conviction must be reversed. As discussed below, we disagree.

A. STANDARD OF REVIEW

It is undisputed that Mireles "knowingly and purposefully" placed a UPC sticker from another product on the bottle of weed killer and purchased the *242$39.98 bottle of weed killer for $4.47-he plainly and repeatedly admitted to doing so at trial. Accordingly, the question before us is whether Mireles's conduct constituted theft by larceny (the theory on which the trial court instructed the jury), or theft by false pretenses. "Issues of law, including statutory construction and the application of that construction to a set of undisputed facts, are subject to this court's independent review." ( Hill Brothers Chemical Co. v. Superior Court (2004) 123 Cal.App.4th 1001, 1005, 20 Cal.Rptr.3d 530.)

B. THEFT BY LARCENY VERSUS THEFT BY FALSE PRETENSES
1. Theft by larceny

"The elements of theft by larceny are well settled: the offense is committed by every person who (1) takes possession (2) of personal property (3) owned or possessed by another, (4) by means of trespass and (5) with intent to steal the property, and (6) carries the property away." ( People v. Davis (1998) 19 Cal.4th 301, 305, 79 Cal.Rptr.2d 295

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
229 Cal. Rptr. 3d 904, 21 Cal. App. 5th 237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mireles-calctapp5d-2018.