People v. Osteen CA2/8

Filed 9/23/25 P. v. Osteen CA2/8 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION EIGHT

THE PEOPLE, B337586

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. BA499076) v.

DARION OSTEEN,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Gustavo N. Sztraicher, Judge. Affirmed. Torres & Torres and Steven A. Torres for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey, Assistant Attorney General, Idan Ivri and Theresa A. Patterson, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. _______________________________________

INTRODUCTION Defendant Darion Osteen pled no contest to one count of taking or driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent. The trial court ordered Osteen to pay over $1,600 in victim restitution to the car’s owner for damage caused to the car’s steering column and ignition switch. Osteen contends the court erred in ordering him to pay victim restitution, claiming he did not cause the underlying damage to the car. We reject this argument and affirm. BACKGROUND Around 8:00 p.m. on May 31, 2021, a police officer stopped Osteen while he was driving an SUV that had been reported stolen earlier that day. The officer noticed that the SUV’s ignition switch was broken, and that the steering column had been dismantled and wrapped with black electrical tape. The officer also saw a pair of pliers in the cup holder that were used to start the car’s ignition. The People charged Osteen with driving or taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent (Veh. Code, § 10851, subd. (a)), alleging that he drove the vehicle with the intent to deprive the owner of title and possession of the vehicle. The People also alleged that Osteen suffered a prior strike conviction (Pen. Code, §§ 667, subd. (d), 1170.12) and a prior vehicle theft conviction (Pen. Code, § 666.5). Osteen pled no contest to driving or taking a vehicle in violation of Vehicle Code section 10851, subdivision (a). As part of the agreed-upon disposition, the court sentenced Osteen to 16 months in state prison, with credit for time served, and ordered him to pay victim restitution.