15 Year Sentence For Crystal Falls Burglary String

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Sonora, CA — A man was sentenced in Tuolumne County Superior Court after earlier being convicted of burglarizing several homes in the Crystal Falls area.

We reported recently that 24-year-old Austin Michael Lassa was arrested in April after a sheriff’s deputy spotted him riding his bicycle late at night with a full face mask, gloves and a bag of suspicious items. Deputies later searched Lassa’s garage and found stolen snowboards, power tools, sports memorabilia and other valuables. In September, Lassa was convicted by a jury on seven counts of first-degree residential burglary and one count of second-degree burglary to a detached garage.

Lassa was sentenced yesterday by Judge Kevin Seibert to 15 years and four months in state prison.

The District Attorneys Office notes that an investigation is continuing into whether Lassa had any help in carrying out the crimes.

There also remains a significant amount of suspected stolen property in the possession of the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, and if any residents around Crystal Falls had items stolen prior to April, they can contact the sheriff’s office to provide a detailed description.