by Evan Chu
The court found sufficient evidence from the preliminary hearing on July 19 to set trial dates for Kenneth Adefunmi, suspect of stealing toothbrushes worth over $1,100.
Officer Nolan McManus of the Woodland Police Department testified for the People in court, and stated that he received a dispatch call on July 2, 2019, regarding a theft at Woodland Smiles Dentistry and Orthodontics. As he arrived at the scene, Mr. Adefunmi was already sitting on a cardboard box of the dentistry’s with two California Highway Patrol officers.
Officer McManus proceeded with testimonies from witnesses at the scene, including an employee at said dentistry, stating that he was shown surveillance footage of Mr. Adefunmi entering through the back door twice, once taking a single box of toothbrushes, and the other time taking an entire package containing eight in total.
Witnesses from other nearby stores provided more detail to the officer, as he continued with the fact that Mr. Adefunmi had a black garbage bag with him, which he left at the front door of a Starbucks. In the bag were all the toothbrushes, with one opened. An employee said to the officer that Mr. Adefunmi was trying to sell the toothbrush to other people.
During the officer’s testimony, Mr. Adefunmi got upset several times and tried to respond directly but was warned.
Responding to the defense attorney’s question, Officer McManus told the court that the face of the person recorded in the footage was visible and clear and that other witnesses at the scene were roughly 20~25 feet away from the incident.
After a short defense attorney’s cross-examination and no further witness present, the court was convinced that there is sufficient evidence for this case to go to trial and set the first trial date for Aug. 16, 2019, at 9:00 am.
