A convicted felon accused of trying to steal an ATM from a Murrieta store, along with a teen-aged boy, pleaded not guilty Friday to burglary and other felonies.
Jalale Jamone Love, 44, of Barstow and the 17-year-old boy, whose identity was not released, were arrested in February following the alleged break-in at the CVS in the 23700 block of Jackson Avenue.
Along with the burglary count, Love is charged with receiving stolen property and vandalism.
He was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Kelly Hansen, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for July 26 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Love is free on a $10,000 bond. His alleged accomplice is also out of custody and awaiting trial in juvenile court.
According to Murrieta police Lt. Mark Reid, officers were sent to the CVS about 3 a.m. on Feb. 14 after a private security firm called 911 to report that four males had forcibly entered the business and were being watched on surveillance cameras.
Multiple patrol units converged on the location and spotted a UHaul truck with a chain extending from the backend into the store, Reid said.
He said that as officers pulled up, a van sped away, prompting the patrolmen to give chase and signal the driver to stop near the intersection of Clinton Keith Road and Nutmeg Street.
Love was at the wheel, and the 17-year-old boy was in the front passenger seat, Reid alleged, adding that the whereabouts of the other two individuals seen with them could not be determined. They have not been identified.
“After reviewing the surveillance video, it was discovered that the four subjects had been attempting to steal the ATM machine from inside the store,” the lieutenant said. “After two failed attempts, all four subjects fled the store.”
The UHaul allegedly used to attempt to dislodge the ATM was confirmed stolen out of Monrovia, according to Reid.
He said Love has a “lengthy criminal history dating back 30 years,” with convictions for burglary, robbery, vehicle theft and making criminal threats. The defendant has a 2003 conviction for spousal abuse in Riverside County, according to court records.
Reid pointed out that Love is the beneficiary of early parole under Assembly Bill 109, the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011, which placed responsibility for supervising many repeat felons on counties instead of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.