Jail time imposed for vehicle theft

McCOOK, Neb. -- A local burglar sentenced to probation last summer, after he startled a McCook couple awake and was arrested a short time later while attempting to hide in their basement, received jail time last week stemming from another felony theft charge. The offender, 21-year-old Joseph M. Rocha, was most recently convicted of a Class IV felony offense for theft by unlawful taking stemming from a 1982 Mercedes he stole from a West C Street residence, a little more than a month after being sentenced to probation in the home burglary case.

The vehicle belonged to Bryan Addington and was valued between $500 and $1,500, according to court documents.

Rocha was sentenced to 180 days in jail, last week during a sentencing hearing in Red Willow County District Court, stemming from the vehicle theft. He was given credit for 124 days already served.

Rocha was also sentenced to a year in jail for violating his probation in the home burglary case, which was ordered to be served at the same time as the theft sentencing, per his plea agreement with Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood.

Rocha was sentenced to probation last summer after accepting a plea agreement that admitted guilt to one Class III felony count of burglary and three Class II misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking, while also agreeing the prosecution would recommend a probation sentence.

He was subsequently sentenced to 36 months Community Based Intervention probation, which court officials described as having stricter reporting requirements than standard probation.

The misdemeanor charges stemmed from the theft of a DVD player from a residence located on the 1000 block of West Second Street and the theft of several fishing poles and stereo speakers stolen from the garages of two other residences.