People v. E.P. (In re E.P.)
People v. E.P. (In re E.P.)
Opinion of the Court
The juvenile court found minor E.P. committed second degree burglary ( Pen. Code, §§ 459, 460, subd. (b) [count 1]; all statutory references are to the Penal Code unless noted), possession of graffiti tools (§ 594.2, subd. (a) [count 2] ), receiving stolen property (§ 496, subd. (a) [counts 4-6] ), and illegal possession of an alcoholic beverage ( Bus. & Prof. Code, § 25662, subd. (a) [count 7] ). E.P. contends we must reverse the burglary finding (count 1) because the evidence shows he committed the new crime defined by the Legislature as shoplifting, but not burglary. He further asserts we must reverse the findings he received stolen property (counts 4-6) because he cannot be convicted of both shoplifting and receiving the same property. We agree and therefore reverse the findings on these counts, and affirm count 2.
I
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
Anaheim ICE is a public ice hockey facility with two professional-sized ice rinks and a shop. Between the ice rinks are offices, referee locker rooms, and locker *265rooms for the players, who must pay to use the rink.
On December 22, 2015, between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m., a hockey referee working a game spotted E.P. and a companion lingering around the locker rooms. The pair walked in and out of the locker rooms several times.
Three players reported items missing from the locker room. One player stated someone had stolen his keys, cell phone, and wallet from his jacket, which he had placed on a locker room bench. A second player reported his pants, wallet, keys, and phone were missing from the bag he left in the locker room. A third player stated someone had taken his wallet, containing credit cards, an amusement park annual pass, and his cell phone from the pants he left on a locker room shelf.
Anaheim police officers responded promptly and detained three youths, including E.P., outside a closed fast food restaurant about a block and a half from the rink. E.P. consented to a search, and officers discovered the property stolen from the locker room.
Officer Olmedo arrested E.P., advised him of his Miranda rights and questioned him about the thefts. E.P. admitted possessing the spray paint can officers also found in his possession, explaining he was a tagger, but he initially denied involvement in the thefts. During a later conversation, E.P. admitted he went inside the facility to watch hockey with another "kid" he could not identify. This youth took "stuff" from the locker room and ran out the back of the facility. E.P. eventually admitted stealing a wallet, cell phones, a jersey, an alcohol bottle, and credit cards from the locker room.
In August 2016, the juvenile court sustained the allegations of the petition. In rejecting E.P.'s challenge to the burglary charge, the court concluded the ice rink's locker rooms were not part of the commercial establishment and the crime of shoplifting required the offender to steal from the business, not from private citizens. Consequently, the court declared E.P. a ward of the court, and placed him on probation.
II
DISCUSSION
A. Insufficient Evidence Supports the Burglary Finding
E.P. contends the juvenile court erred when it found E.P.'s theft of items taken from an open locker room inside a commercial hockey rink was a burglary rather than the crime of shoplifting. Based on the reasoning in decisions issued after the court found E.P. committed a burglary, we agree.
In November 2014, the electorate enacted Proposition 47, "the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act," which amended existing statutes to reduce penalties for certain theft and drug offenses, and added several new provisions. Per its preamble, the stated purpose was " 'to ensure that prison spending is focused on violent and serious offenses' " and to " '[r]equire misdemeanors instead of felonies for nonserious, nonviolent crimes like petty theft and drug possession.' " ( People v. Romanowski (2017)
To accomplish its goal of requiring misdemeanors for nonserious, nonviolent crimes like petty theft, Proposition 47 created a new misdemeanor crime of "shoplifting," which covers conduct that previously would have been classified as a burglary. ( *266In re J.L. (2015)
In determining whether the court erred, we accept the court's factual findings if supported by substantial evidence, but review de novo the court's legal conclusion the ice rink's locker room was not part of a "commercial establishment" within the meaning of section 459.5. ( People v. Hallam (2016)
In Hallam, supra,
Hallam rejected the Attorney General's argument a "room within the business where the buying and selling of goods or services does not occur" could not be part of the "commercial establishment." ( Hallam, supra, 3 Cal.App.5th at p. 912,
Hallam distinguished J.L. ,
Our Supreme Court's recent decision in People v. Gonzales (2017)
Resisting this conclusion, the Attorney General in Gonzales argued that "use of the term 'larceny' in section 459.5, coupled with labeling the offense 'shoplifting,' exhibited an intent by the electorate to limit that offense to the 'common understanding of shoplifting,' which she characterizes as taking goods from a store." ( Gonzales,
Pertinent here, the Attorney General in Gonzales argued "it would be absurd for the shoplifting statute to encompass any form of theft other than larceny of openly displayed merchandise ," otherwise, section 459.5 "would require a person to be prosecuted for shoplifting even if he enters a commercial establishment to commit a theft from an area of the store closed to the public, 'like a back office or a private locker room .... ' " ( Gonzales, supra , 2 Cal.5th at p. 873,
Here, the Attorney General relies on People v. Garcia (2016)
In Garcia , the defendant suffered two burglary convictions, one resulting from his entry into a store to commit robbery, followed by another when he entered the store's restroom to rape an employee. The Supreme Court found insufficient evidence to support the second burglary conviction. Garcia explained: "Where a burglar enters a structure enumerated under section 459 with the requisite felonious intent, and then subsequently enters a room within that structure with such intent, the burglar may be charged with multiple burglaries only if the subsequently entered room provides a separate and objectively reasonable expectation of protection from intrusion *269relative to the larger structure. Such a separate expectation of privacy and safety may exist where there is proof that the internal space is owned, leased, occupied, or otherwise possessed by a distinct entity; or that the room or space is secured against the rest of the space within the structure, making the room similar in nature to the stand-alone structures enumerated in section 459." ( Garcia, supra, 62 Cal.4th at pp. 1119-1120,
Garcia identified several characteristics that might indicate an interior room shares the enhanced expectation of privacy and security of a stand-alone structure, including a locked door and signs to prevent unauthorized access. ( Garcia, supra, 62 Cal.4th at p. 1129,
Assuming without deciding that Garcia applies in this context, no evidence showed the locker room was locked or other measures were taken to prevent unauthorized access, such as signs prohibiting access. The locker room was located between the ice rinks, presumably to allow customers easy access to and from the rinks. At most, the evidence shows no more than a "limited transitory sense of privacy." ( Garcia, supra, 62 Cal.4th at p. 1132,
Garcia aside, the Attorney General asserts the locker room was not part of the Anaheim ICE's commercial establishment. He argues Hallam was wrongly decided and notes the Supreme Court granted review in People v. Colbert (2016)
Anaheim ICE's locker rooms were located between the ice rinks, facilitating player and referee access. No evidence showed management locked the locker rooms, displayed signs prohibiting entry, or took other steps to prevent public access by family, friends, or bystanders watching the skaters. To the contrary, the evidence establishes a public use. The players' use of the locker rooms shows Anaheim ICE offered this amenity to its customers, a feature presumably reflected in the fees the facility charged its customers. The evidence does not support the Attorney General's contention the locker room was not part of Anaheim ICE's commercial establishment.
The Attorney General also argues E.P. failed to produce evidence the locker room, or Anaheim ICE, was open to the public during regular business hours and the value of the stolen items was less than $950. Although E.P.'s appeal essentially *270challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support the finding he committed burglary, the Attorney General's argument, in effect, places the burden of production on E.P. to establish as an affirmative defense the crime of shoplifting, without offering any legal argument to support this assertion. Courts may place on the defendant the burden of proving an exonerating fact " 'if its existence is "peculiarly" within [a defendant's] personal knowledge and proof of its nonexistence by the prosecution would be relatively difficult or inconvenient.' " ( People v. Mower (2002)
Finally, we note our decision comports with the stated goals of Proposition 47, which declares the "act shall be broadly construed to accomplish its purposes." (Voter Information Guide, Gen. Elec. (Nov. 4, 2014) text of Prop. 47, p. 74, § 15 (Voter Information Guide).) "One of Proposition 47's primary purposes is to reduce the number of nonviolent offenders in state prisons, thereby saving money and focusing prison on offenders considered more serious under the terms of the initiative." ( Harris v. Superior Court (2016)
B. Receiving Stolen Property (Counts 4-6)
E.P. argues "[b]ecause [he] committed an act of shoplifting, he cannot also be prosecuted for the crimes of receiving stolen property. One cannot be convicted of both stealing and receiving the same property." (See § 459.5, subd. (b) ["[a]ny act of shoplifting ... shall be charged as shoplifting. No person who is charged with shoplifting may also be charged with burglary or theft of the same property"]; § 496, subd. (a) [every person who conceals or withholds stolen property from the owner knowing the property is stolen commits a crime; a principal in the actual theft of the property may be convicted pursuant to this section but no person may be convicted both pursuant to this section and of the theft of the same property]; People v. Ceja (2010)
III
DISPOSITION
The judgment finding the minor committed burglary (count 1) and receiving stolen property (counts 4, 5, and 6) is reversed. The judgment finding possession of graffiti tools (count 2) is affirmed.
WE CONCUR:
FYBEL, J.
THOMPSON, J.
Section 490.2, subdivision (a), provides: "(a) Notwithstanding Section 487 or any other provision of law defining grand theft, obtaining any property by theft where the value of the money, labor, real or personal property taken does not exceed nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) shall be considered petty theft and shall be punished as a misdemeanor, except that such person may instead be punished pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 if that person has one or more prior convictions for an offense specified in clause (iv) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 667 or for an offense requiring registration pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 290."
Section 490.5, subdivision (g)(1), provides, "As used in this section: [¶] (1) 'Merchandise' means any personal property, capable of manual delivery, displayed, held or offered for retail sale by a merchant. [¶] (2) 'Merchant' means an owner or operator, and the agent, consignee, employee, lessee, or officer of an owner or operator, of any premises used for the retail purchase or sale of any personal property capable of manual delivery. [¶] (3) 'Theater owner' means an owner or operator, and the agent, employee, consignee, lessee, or officer of an owner or operator, of any premises used for the exhibition or performance of motion pictures to the general public. [¶] (4) The terms 'book or other library materials' include any book, plate, picture, photograph, engraving, painting, drawing, map, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, broadside, manuscript, document, letter, public record, microform, sound recording, audiovisual material in any format, magnetic or other tape, electronic data-processing record, artifact, or other documentary, written or printed material regardless of physical form or characteristics, or any part thereof, belonging to, on loan to, or otherwise in the custody of a library facility. [¶] (5) The term 'library facility' includes any public library; any library of an educational, historical or eleemosynary institution, organization or society; any museum; any repository of public records."
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.