Oceanside Toy Thief Sentenced to Three Years Probation

A Carlsbad man who stole $85,000 worth of "Pillow Pet" stuffed animals from an Oceanside warehouse and sold some of them on eBay was sentenced Tuesday to three years probation and ordered to do 15 days of public service work.

Vista Superior Court Judge Kimberlee Lagotta suspended a 180-day jail term for Danny Ray Wright, which could be imposed should he violate the terms of his probation.

Wright, 42, pleaded guilty last month to grand theft in connection with the theft of at least 3,500 "Pillow Pets" from a commercial warehouse in the 4000 block of Calle Platino in Oceanside.

Police said Wright entered the warehouse through a rear door several times beginning in January and stole boxes full of the toys. He was arrested in July after Oceanside police searched his Bluff Court home and two storage lockers in Oceanside and found some of the stolen toys.

Prosecutor Aimee McLeod said Wright was a friend of the company owner, and for a brief time last December was authorized to sell "Pillow Pet" products. Wright's contract was terminated when he failed to pay for items, McLeod said.

Representatives of Carlsbad-based CJ Products, the makers of the animal- shaped Pillow Pets, told prosecutors that they believed Wright sold at least $11,000 of the stuffed animals on eBay.

A restitution review hearing was set for Oct. 29.

—City News Service