A man charged in a series of automobile thefts in Hailey last fall admitted Monday to taking at least two of the vehicles.
Bruce A Lopez, an 18-year-old Hailey man, entered guilty pleas in Blaine County 5th District Court to one count of felony burglary and one count of the misdemeanor charge of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent. Lopez was originally charged with 13 crimes—seven of them felonies—in connection with the theft of seven vehicles in October and November.
All seven of the vehicles were recovered. Most weren't damaged, but merchandise or money was stolen from many. However, a Senior Connection van was found wrecked in Colorado Gulch and the vehicle had to be replaced.
Hailey police reported that all seven of the vehicles were left unlocked with the keys inside.
A 17-year-old Hailey youth was also arrested for the crimes but information on the status of the case against him is not publicly available.
Lopez spoke broken English in court and required the assistance of a Spanish-speaking interpreter. Speaking through the interpreter, he admitted that the thefts were crimes of opportunity.
"I was walking and I saw that the keys were in the car and I had a long way to walk," Lopez said.
Regarding the second theft, the defendant said: "I was a little bit drunk so I saw that there was keys in it like the first one so I took the second one too."
The defendant's guilty pleas were in accord with a plea agreement with the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, which will recommend that Lopez be sentenced to a year in jail, be placed on five years probation, receive a four-year suspended prison sentence and pay an unspecified amount in restitution.
Lopez said he is not a U.S. citizen and was advised by Judge Robert J. Elgee that he may face deportation.
"The consequence of a plea of guilty if you make it is that when you are released from custody that immigration authorities in the U.S. will likely deport you to your country of residence," Elgee said. "And this plea will likely prevent you from ever legally reentering the United States."
Sentencing was not scheduled because it will have to be arranged for Judge Barry Wood's calendar.
"I can take your plea but I've been disqualified in this case by the prosecutor's office," Elgee said.
The prosecutor's office is not required to state a reason for requesting a judge's disqualification.
Bruce A. Lopez
