Man pleads guilty to strong-arm robbery, sentenced to 5 years in prison

A 41-year-old man pleaded guilty today to stealing a woman's laptop in Thermal, injuring her in the process, and was immediately sentenced to five years in state prison.

Jesus Alejandro Perales of Indio was arrested in December when the Riverside County Sheriff's Department responded to a strong-arm robbery report in the 46000 block of Dillon Road.

On Tuesday, Perales pleaded guilty to a felony robbery charge and was sentenced by Riverside County Superior Court Judge James Stafford to five years behind bars.

According to Sgt. David Koedyker, a woman reported that a man stole her laptop bag from the trunk of her vehicle. The victim said she confronted the man and got into a physical confrontation in which she sustained minor injuries. Perales then drove away in a white sedan, police said.  

Authorities said Perales' vehicle was found, with the assistance of a California Highway Patrol helicopter, in a citrus field in the 40000 block of Dillon Road. After searching the area, deputies found Perales in a nearby camp, and found the victim's stolen property buried nearby, officials said.