In an ongoing push to demonstrate the effects of the recently enacted Prop. 36, formally known as the the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, authorities are drawing attention to cases that wouldn’t normally see the light of day.
One such case comes from Tuesday in Rancho Cucamonga. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, a man was arrested on suspicion of petty theft with prior convictions.
His alleged crime? Stealing a sandwich.
The 36-year-old man, a Los Angeles resident, was arrested after he allegedly stole food from the mobile order shelf at a Subway in the area of Foothill Boulevard and Spruce Avenue in Ranch Cucamonga.
Since he already has a conviction for a petty theft with priors, the penalties for a potential additional petty theft conviction could be upgraded thanks to Prop. 36. That initiative passed overwhelmingly in a statewide vote in November, with nearly 69% of the vote in support.
In addition to harsher penalties for repeat offenders, the prop lowered the threshold for a felony charge on theft from $950 worth of stolen goods to $450.
