Burglars who stole guns from L.A. Mayor Bass’ home sentenced to prison
The two men who broke into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ home in Baldwin Vista last year and stole two guns were sentenced to prison Tuesday.
Patricio Munoz and Juan Espinoza pleaded no contest to one count of burglary and grand theft of a firearm, respectively, during a Tuesday morning court appearance in downtown L.A., said Tiffiny Blacknell, director of communications for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Munoz was sentenced to two years in prison, she said. Espinoza, who has a prior conviction for burglary, was sentenced to 32 months, Blacknell said.
The crime happened on Sept. 9, with the burglars taking two guns — later identified as .38-caliber revolvers — but leaving behind cash and electronics, Bass said at the time. Bass, then a congresswoman, said that she had the guns for her protection and that they were stored in a lock box in her closet.
Two people have been arrested in connection with a burglary at mayoral candidate Karen Bass’ L.A. home, the LAPD said. Bass said two guns taken in the burglary were registered and stored in a lockbox.
The break-in quickly became an issue in the Los Angeles mayor’s race, with candidate Rick Caruso accusing Bass of failing to properly store her guns.
At a Sept. 21 debate at USC, Bass said she was shocked Caruso would blame her when she had been the victim of a crime and when she had previously called him to offer her concern about a burglary committed at the Grove, the upscale shopping center he owns.
Bass’ office declined to comment Tuesday on the sentences. The office wouldn’t comment when asked if Bass’ guns were returned.
At the time of the arrest last year, Munoz and Espinoza each gave false names, police said. Espinoza was on parole for burglary and had a warrant out for violating parole at the time of the crime, police said.
Times staff writer Julia Wick contributed to this report.
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