Theft suspect Jesse Leonardo Otero arrested on I-680 forcing CHP to block traffic on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. Photos: Concord PD
Walnut Creek man arrested 86 times since 2017, 41 times in 2023
By Concord Police Department
On Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 22, 2023, one of our swing shift patrol officers was conducting extra patrols in the area of the Veranda (2001 Diamond Blvd.) when she was notified of a theft that had just occurred. The suspect fled on foot from our officer onto Willow Pass Road and into the parking lot of the Sun Valley Mall. A CPD motor officer attempted to stop the subject, who fled onto I-680. The California Highway Patrol was contacted and momentarily blocked traffic to allow our Officers to enter the freeway and safely detain the male.
The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Jesse Leonardo Otero of Walnut Creek, was arrested on the freeway. Mr. Ortero was transported to the Concord PD jail and later to the Martinez Detention Facility for theft and resisting/delaying a peace officer. This case will be forwarded to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office for filing considerations.
Thank you to the California Highway Patrol and the Pleasant Hill Police Department for their assistance!
According to localcrimenews.com, Otero has been arrested 86 times since 2017 including 41 arrests in 2023 – sometimes twice in the same day – by multiple Contra Costa and Alameda County law enforcement agencies for a variety of crimes including trespassing, petty theft, public nuisance, possession of a controlled substance, shoplifting of less than $950, receiving or concealing stolen property, resisting arrest, robbery, vandalism and giving false information to a police officer. His arrests include three times in 2017; 10 in 2018; twice in 2019; five in 2020; 12 in 2021; and 13 times in 2022.
An email was sent to Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton asking how someone with Otero’s record hasn’t been sentenced to multiple years in jail or prison.
11/29/23 UPDATE: In response, Contra Costa DA’s Office PIO Ted Asregadoo provided the following statement:
“44-year-old Jesse Leonardo Otero is currently on felony probation for commercial burglary [PC 460(b)]. He was convicted on June 13, 2022, of a felony and was sentenced to 150 days in county jail and placed on two years of formal probation. On the same day, Otero was convicted of a misdemeanor shoplifting offense [PC 459.5] after stealing a gaming controller from a GameStop store. In October 2021, Otero was prosecuted and convicted of two separate counts of misdemeanor vandalism [PC 594(a)]. He was sentenced to 28 days in county jail and a year of probation for the vandalism offenses.
Many of the violations Mr. Otero was cited for in Contra Costa County were low-level, misdemeanor offenses such as trespassing, public nuisance, petty theft, and possession of controlled substances or paraphernalia. Otero’s misdemeanor thefts, for example, include taking a soft drink and candy at a Target store, stealing $27 worth of cosmetics, or shoplifting $50 worth of razor blades.
Our office is working with law enforcement agencies to merge a number of seemingly minor cases for prosecution to seek justice, ensure accountability, and protect our communities. Misdemeanor complaints filed with the court will have multiple incidents that we believe can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
This is why crime is out of control..there is NO CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR CRIME…ITS AWEFUL,
Jen, Perfectly stated.
How? Because look at his crimes.. they are all petty or misdemeanors for the most part. Throw someone in jail for years for trespassing? Or petty theft?
Repeat offender, habitual criminal. Perhaps he wants to be in jail. I will let the DA explain.
Allen D. Payton, Publisher
“An email was sent to Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton asking how someone with Otero’s record hasn’t been sentenced to multiple years in jail or prison. ”
You must be new here!
Nope. Been publishing this website since 2016 and the Antioch Herald website since Oct. 2010.
So, perhaps you’re new to our website. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment.
I’m well aware of the challenges with our current DA and her “progressive”, soft-on-crime approach, which is why I endorsed her opponents during the last two campaigns.
But she needs to explain to all of us why and how this can happen. So, I’m going to ask.
Allen D. Payton, Publisher
I would love to see the response of the DA'[s Office re your e-mail. It will probably be some self-serving dribble blaming the rest of the criminal justice process.
Please see 11/29/23 UPDATE to article for the response from the CCDA’s office.
So I guess they’re saying it’s ok to steal things just do a little at a time. I never got that memo.