A man accused of stealing nearly 500 gallons of diesel fuel from the Mecca Travel Center failed to appear in court for a third time Tuesday, resulting in the issuance of another warrant.
Huntington Park resident Eliseo Laglera, 22, was initially charged with four counts of grand theft of over $950, according to court records, in addition to two enhancements for attempting to take or damage something of great value and a manner indicating planning, sophistication or professionalism. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in August 2022.
After Laglera was absent from a scheduled felony settlement conference on July 24, a $20,000 bench warrant was issued later that afternoon, according to Thalia Hayden of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
He re-added himself onto the calendar for a scheduled court date 24 hours later, but failed to show up again.
The warrant was recalled on Aug. 9 due to the defendant being in custody and another felony settlement conference was scheduled for Tuesday, which Laglera also did not appear for, according to John Hall of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. The judge issued a $40,000 bench warrant.
Co-defendant Pablo Jose Huertas, 27, who was initially charged with two felony grand theft counts and one felony count of receiving property, entered a guilty plea to the latter charge on the day of Laglera’s first rescheduled felony settlement conference.
The grand theft charges were dismissed, and he was immediately placed on felony probation with 120 days of custody and ordered to pay restitution, Hayden said.
Deputies responded to a report of diesel being stolen around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2022, when they allegedly found Huertas and Laglera pumping fuel into a storage tank, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities said the two suspects allegedly pumped around 470 gallons of fuel, worth more than $2,700, without paying by manipulating the fuel pump mechanism.
Huertas was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, and Laglera was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center. They were both held on $250,000 bail.