A bench warrant was issued Tuesday for one of two Los Angeles residents arrested in May on suspicion of a series of mail thefts in multiple counties.
Sixto Melendez III, 28, and Mark Huguez, 48, each made initial court appearance on May 28 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. On the same day, Melendez received a sentence, including 24 months of probation after pleading guilty to a felony count of obtaining personal identifying information with intent to defraud.
Huguez, who entered a not guilty plea to the same charge, did not appear at a scheduled felony settlement conference on Tuesday, leading to the issuance of a $250,000 bench warrant, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s office.
Members of the Palm Desert sheriff’s station assigned to the Rancho Mirage Special Enforcement Team stopped a vehicle at 2:10 p.m. on May 23 that was allegedly used to aid mail carrier burglaries in Alhambra, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies searched the vehicle and allegedly found mail belonging to 16 people across multiple counties, in addition to stolen checks, stolen credit cards and burglary tools.
Both were arrested and booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center.
Huguez, who has multiple prior felony convictions according to Riverside County records, is ineligible for probation. Melendez had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.