Burglary and Grand Theft: Case Dismissed

Client was facing felony grand theft under Penal Code § 487(a), felony burglary under Penal Code § 459, and misdemeanor shoplifting under Penal Code § 459.5 after being misidentified as a participant in a string of department store burglaries. He faced multiple felony convictions and years in custody. After a thorough investigation and presentation of exonerating evidence, the District Attorney dismissed the case at the preliminary hearing.

The case began when our client was stopped at the U.S./Mexico border and taken into custody on a felony warrant. Law enforcement claimed he was part of a crew involved in a series of thefts at San Diego Marshall’s and TJ Maxx stores. Officers relied on a blurry surveillance video and matched the suspect to our client using his Facebook profile.

Our client was shocked and confused. He had no criminal record, was employed full‑time hours away from the locations, and had no involvement in the thefts. After posting bail, he received a Facebook message from a co‑defendant’s girlfriend confirming that he had been falsely implicated. She and her boyfriend, who was actually involved, both confirmed that the theft crew consisted of three participants and that our client was never present.

Griffin Law Office launched a full investigation. We obtained the client’s employment records and timesheets proving he was at work on the dates of the thefts. We interviewed the co‑defendant and his girlfriend, securing sworn statements confirming our client’s innocence. We presented these materials to the prosecution, showing that law enforcement had misidentified him solely because he went to high school with one of the suspects and was still friends with him on social media.

By the time of the preliminary hearing, our evidence was overwhelming. The District Attorney dismissed the case in its entirety, clearing our client’s name and ending a frightening ordeal in which he faced felony convictions for crimes he did not commit.