Earlier this afternoon Corporal Wray was contacted by a Realtor on Tolita Avenue who requested that he do a security check on the property. Just as the Corporal entered the residence, an unknown male subject ran out the back of the house. A perimeter was established and officers found the subject a few blocks away. As it turns out, this subject was contacted yesterday for a similar incident. Prosecution was not desired in that incident and a field interview report was completed and he was given a courtesy a ride out of town. Today, prosecution was desired and the subject was arrested and released with a written promise to appear for trespassing. Corporal Wray provided the subject with another courtesy ride out of our city.
Unfortunately, trespassing/squatting is a non-bookable misdemeanor offense which means the law only allows us to give the suspect a ticket to appear in court. In order for us to charge burglary, there needs to be intent to commit a theft or any other felony in the structure. In these incidents, the subject’s only intent was to sleep and hangout in the home.
We understand that this may seem confusing and frustrating, and very scary, but our police officers can only enforce the law as it is written.
City of Coronado Police Department
