By Tiffany Yeh
Isidro Jaramillo, Jr., and co-defendant Stephanie Kolb are charged with theft of a vehicle, with Mr. Jaramillo having a case enhancement for a prior strike of first degree theft, along with a prison prior.
Conflict attorney Rod Beede represented Jaramillo, while Deputy Public Defender Andrea Pelochino represented Kolb, in front of Judge Richardson presiding.
Deputy District Attorney Alvina Zhang brought forth two witnesses, both police officers. First, Woodland Police Officer Randall Krantz testified that on December 1, 2015, around 11:58am, he received a call from dispatch about a stolen vehicle.
Earlier that day, a truck with its key still in its ignition was parked in the front driveway of the owner’s house. A total of five people were sneaking around the garage of the house, while two people were seen inside the truck.
A purse was found on the passenger seat, while a cell phone charger belonging to Jaramillo was charging inside the vehicle. A backpack, golf bag, and golf clubs had been within the truck.
A neighbor saw all this occur and pursued a male and female with her vehicle. She confronted them and took pictures of the two individuals. They fled at a “walk/run” away from the scene, but the neighbor was able to take pictures as they were hiding by the side of random houses. The truck was across the street from the owner’s house by now.
The officer testified that the two individuals had told the neighbor that someone had let them borrow the truck.
The second witness for the prosecution was Woodland Police Officer Brian Olson. He responded at 8:10am to Elm Street the next day because a property owner had reported suspicious activity in her backyard.
A man was seen sneaking toward the backyard of her house. Officer Olson asked the woman for permission to enter and to look around her backyard, and it was granted.
Patrick Neigg was sitting in a chair, smoking a cigarette while an embroidered golf club bag with clubs inside was near him. A canvas bag and a backpack were also near him.
The owner of the truck from the day before stated that the clubs and bag equaled about $1500 when he originally bought them. Now, they were about two years old.
Stephanie Kolb and Isidro Jaramillo, Jr., were identified by Mr. Neigg in two separate lineups. Next to Ms. Kolb’s picture, he wrote down a misspelled version of her name.
Next to Jaramillo’s picture, he wrote “guy with female.”
He stated that Stephanie Kolb had given him the golf clubs.
Both Jaramillo and Kolb are being brought to answer for the charges of possession of stolen property, including a vehicle, and are to be arraigned in about two weeks.
No evidence in the form of pictures of the defendants in the truck were found and no video or recordings were taped of them in the moving vehicle, or with possession of the golf clubs, bag, and backpack.
During arguments, Rod Beede, representing Mr. Jaramillo, argued that this was not a case of vehicle theft. There was no direct evidence tying his client to the vehicle. He said at most this was a possession of stolen property case where Ms. Kolb had given Patrick Neigg the golf bag without stating how she got it.
He noted that there is no tie between his defendant and the truck keys, which were found in the ignition of the vehicle even though the alleged victim said he had not left them there.
Ms. Pelochino argued it wasn’t clear what the involvement of Stephanie Kolb was in any vehicle theft. Was she even aware, if she had been in the vehicle, that the vehicle was stolen?
Deputy DA Kyle Hasapes, however, argued that, especially for purposes of a preliminary hearing, inferences could be made. He said that when the owner of the vehicle approached it on the side on the road, he saw five individuals across the street. He noted that the man and woman, believed to be the two defendants, had their belongings in the truck, which included her purse and his cell phone, charging.
Given that the vehicle had been moved without permission, Hasapes argued that was enough evidence to tie the defendants to the vehicle. You also have the exchange of the golf clubs, which had been in the vehicle, to Mr. Neigg just before the vehicle was found and the police were called.
The judge agreed on this point. He added the charge of possession of stolen property but declined the prosecution’s request to change the bail status of Ms. Kolb, who remains out of custody on her own recognizance, while Mr. Jaramillo remains in custody unable to make bail.
The co-defendants will be arraigned on the information on January 22.
interesting case in that the defendants probably committed the crime, but will the da be able to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt. it seems like the only clear nexus between them and the crime is the golf clubs. is that enough to prove they stole the truck?