A serial shoplifter from the Bay Area who has been arrested 90 times will be put to trial this week after the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office filed a complaint against him—consolidating 31 misdemeanors from the past year.
Mr. Otero was released Dec. 8 from the Martinez Detention Facility on misdemeanor charges, according to KRON. But just a few hours later, he was arrested outside a Pleasant Hill shopping center.
He is homeless and sustains a drug addiction through shoplifting and selling stolen goods, according to media reports.
Despite his extensive criminal record, Mr. Otero avoids lengthy jail sentences because most shoplifting offenses are now classified as misdemeanors if the stolen merchandise amounts to less than $950.
Because of this, police departments are compelled to issue citations rather than detain Mr. Otero despite his repeated criminal history.
His latest arrest follows a Nov. 21 arrest in South San Francisco after a theft at a mall, when he attempted to evade police by running onto an interstate highway before being detained.
A few days later, Mr. Otero reportedly stole $340 worth of items from an East San Francisco bike store.
