Photo: Francisco Leos and Alyssa Penic
On May 3, 2020, a Porterville man reported his Honda Accord stolen. The next day, he called Porterville Police Department Communications to report he spotted his car and was following the driver. He advised responding police officers the driver had pulled into the Motel 6 parking lot on Morton Avenue.
When police arrived at the parking lot, they located the stolen Honda which had been spray painted a different color in an attempt to disguise it, and contacted the occupants. The driver was identified as 34-year old Francisco Leos and the passenger as 23-year old Alyssa Penic, both of Porterville.
Leos was searched and found in possession of paraphernalia and a small amount of methamphetamine. A records check revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. Penic was also in possession of paraphernalia.
Leos was arrested for purchase or receipt of a stolen vehicle, driving a car without consent, possession of burglar’s tools, unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, custodial institutional burglary, burglary during a state of emergency, possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Tulare County Sheriff’s South County Detention Facility with bail set at $140,000. He remains in custody.
Penic was arrested for grand theft during a state of emergency, auto theft, and possession of paraphernalia. She was booked into the Tulare County Sheriff’s South County Detention Facility with bail set at $50,000. She has since been cited and released.
Photos from the Porterville Police Department
