A 38-year-old San Jose man convicted of residential burglary was sentenced to 13 years in state prison Wednesday for breaking into a Redwood City couple’s home while they were asleep in September, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
In custody on $125,000 bail, Derrick Strong received 263 days credit for time served and was transported to prison immediately. After five days of jury trial, Strong was found guilty Feb. 27 of felony residential burglary while the resident was present and a court trial found multiple prior felony convictions true, according to prosecutors.
Strong was believed to have broken into an apartment complex at 1107 Second Ave. Sept. 17 just before 6:15 a.m. and was seen by a man who lived in the unit and had awakened to turn off the kitchen light. The man saw Strong rummaging through his wife’s purse and confronted him, leading Strong to remove her cellphone and wallet from his pockets, according to prosecutors.
Strong claimed he found the items and was returning them, though the wife and her husband knew they were in her purse and on the table earlier. Strong then collected his cellphone charger and fled from the home, at which point the couple called 911 to report the burglary, according to prosecutors.
Police officers responding to the scene found Strong half an hour later with the man’s car and apartment keys in his jacket and the man was able to identify him, according to prosecutors.
Strong’s defense attorney Paula Spano declined to comment on the case.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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