Nine-Year Prison Sentence for Convicted Car Burglar

A San Diego resident was sentenced to nine years in state prison Friday for breaking into cars and using stolen credit cards to buy electronics and other items at East County Target stores.

Donald Jonescue, 53, who has an extensive drug and theft-related criminal record, pleaded guilty to burglary, grand theft, using the personal identifying information of another and possession for sale of methamphetamine.

A co-defendant, Aaron Bobo, 39, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced at an earlier hearing to nine years in prison. They were arrested last August.

When investigators searched two Spring Valley homes, they found hundreds of stolen items, including surfboards, golf clubs and purses, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputy District Attorney Valerie Ryan said the five people victimized by the five-month burglary spree were “devastated” by their losses.

One victim whose husband had just died lost her wedding rings when her car was stolen, the prosecutor told Judge Laura Parsky.

Another woman, a doctor, was volunteering to help diabetic children at Rady Children’s Hospital when her car was broken into, and she lost a special keychain her late father had given her, Ryan said.

Ryan said Jonescue has been to prison seven times.

The defendant unsuccessfully asked the judge to send him to a drug rehabilitation program, saying he couldn’t get the proper treatment for his addiction in prison.

But Parsky urged Jonescue to seek drug treatment while in prison.

City News Service contributed to this report.