Commercial Burglar Sentenced To More Than 5 Years For Indio Heists

INDIO, CA — A 36-year-old man who committed numerous commercial burglaries in Indio pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges and was immediately sentenced to over five years in state prison.

Jacob Villanueva Garcia of Indio was charged with three felony counts of burglary, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to all three charges Monday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio and was immediately sentenced to five years and four months in state prison.

Detectives investigated a series of commercial burglaries that occurred between Nov. 12 and Nov. 19, and Garcia was identified as the suspect, police department spokesman Benjamin Guitron said.

He was apprehended in the area of Monroe Street and Indio Boulevard and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, according to inmate records.

"Garcia confessed to breaking into the Savas Health, Pueblo Viejo Restaurant, Coco Freeze Ice Cream Shop, and Flame Broiler restaurant," Guitron wrote in a statement. "Garcia has a long history of commercial burglary within the city of Indio, spanning over 10 years, and has been in and out of jail for these crimes."

When he was arrested, Garcia was under post-release community supervision probation for a commercial burglary, Guitron said.