Frequent Arrestee Pleads Not Guilty in Burglary of Palm Desert Home

A 45-year-old Coachella man who has been arrested four times since December pleaded not guilty Wednesday to burglary and other charges, and a hearing was scheduled for tomorrow to determine whether he will be released from custody to attend his father’s funeral.

Julio Cesar Anaya is charged with residential burglary, grand theft and committing a felony while free on bail. He is being held at the Riverside County jail in Indio in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Anaya was booked about 1:15 p.m. Sunday, several hours after officers received a report of a suspicious vehicle backed into the driveway of a home in the 73-200 block of Santa Rosa Way in Palm Desert, sheriff’s Sgt. Andy Martinez said. Deputies moved in quietly, but Anaya spotted them and tried to drive away before being stopped and arrested, he said.

Anaya allegedly stole furniture, fixtures and mail from the home, but all of the stolen items were recovered, sheriff’s officials said.

It was Anaya’s fourth arrest since late December and his second in five days.

Anaya was arrested Dec. 28 and charged with 11 counts, including burglary, identity theft and check fraud. He was released on his own recognizance. Anaya was re-arrested less than two weeks later and charged Jan. 9 with three misdemeanor counts — including possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and petty theft. He was released on $3,500 bail in that case.

On April 28, Anaya was arrested again and charged with misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine. He was free on $3,500 bail in that case also.

Anaya is scheduled to appear in court May 18 in connection with those three cases.

He will be in court Thursday for a hearing on his possible release. “The defendant told the judge at today’s court appearance that his father has died and he asked to be released to attend the funeral,” said John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. “The judge set a hearing tomorrow for the defendant and the public defender representing Anaya to provide him with more information so a decision can be made regarding that request.”