People v. Gautt

FOURT, J. This is an appeal from a judgment wherein appellant was found guilty of burglary.

Appellant Gautt was charged with two codefendants in an information filed in Los Angeles County on March 23, 1960, with burglary, in that they did on or about February 20, 1960, enter a men's store with the intent to commit a theft. It was also charged that said appellant was previously convicted of burglary, a felony, on or about February 1956 and served a term of imprisonment therefor in the state prison. The codefendants were charged with prior convictions of robbery and burglary respectively.

Appellant pleaded not guilty, a jury trial was properly waived, and the matter was submitted on the transcript of the preliminary hearing, and such other testimony as either side desired to introduce. Appellant was found guilty of second degree burglary. His motion for a new trial was denied and he was sentenced to the state prison.

The appeal is from the judgment and the order denying the motion for a new trial. The appeal of Azell Hayes was dismissed under rule 17 (a) of the Rules on Appeal.

A résumé of the facts is as follows:

On February 19, 1960, Sidney Jacobs was interested in a clothing business located at 8662 South Broadway, Los Angeles. At about 9 o’clock p. m. on the date mentioned Jacobs locked up and left the store, at which time the stock in trade was in order and the windows were in good condition, with no marks thereon. At about 2 o’clock a. m. on February 20, 1960 Jacobs returned to the store and found several sport coats missing. He had given no one permission to enter the store or take anything therefrom.

At about 1:30 o’clock a. m. February 20, 1960, Officer Sandstrom responded to a burglary alarm call at 8662 South Broadway and as he approached the establishment he could hear the burglar alarm ringing. As the officer turned east on 87th Street from Broadway he saw appellant and his co-defendant Hayes leave the rear of 8662 South Broadway. Appellant was at that time driving a pickup truck which was approximately 15 or 20 feet from the clothing store, and Hayes was seated on the passenger side of the truck. The officer stopped the vehicle and found a crowbar on the floor of the cab of the truck. There was some fresh plaster in the alleyway and some of the same plaster was on the tires of the truck and further there were fresh tire marks in the plaster located in the alleyway. The tires on the truck matched the marks in the plaster.

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