Man found guilty in theft of Christmas presents

Jose Abraham Tofolla-Flores faces up 10 years in prison.

Reno, Nevada. May 20, 2015. On Tuesday, May 19, 2015, a Washoe County jury found defendant Jose Abraham Tofolla-Flores, (DOB 9/28/1984), guilty of burglary and destruction of property for stealing wrapped Christmas presents out of a vehicle parked on a street near Double Diamond Parkway and Double R Blvd. in south Reno.

The evidence presented at the trial showed that in the early hours of Dec. 15, 2014, Samuel Adams, who was staying with a friend in Reno while on his way from California to Wyoming, went out to his car to continue his drive to Wyoming. As he approached his car, he saw another car parked near his and a man removing the presents Mr. Adams had purchased and wrapped for his family through a now broken rear window. Mr. Adams attempted to stop the man, but the perpetrator fled the scene and Mr. Adams called 911. About ten minutes later at the Oddie Blvd. off-ramp of U.S. 395, coincidentally about a ten minute drive from the location of the theft, Officer Brian Kleidosty of the Reno Police Department observed a vehicle that closely matched the description that was provided to police during Mr. Adams’ 911 call. After Officer Kleidosty stopped the vehicle, he observed several Christmas presents in the backseat. It was determined that the wrapping paper matched the paper used by Mr. Adams and that the contents of the presents were a guitar, a doll and pony set, and a blanket, all presents Mr. Adams had purchased for his wife and children. The defendant was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

Sentencing is currently scheduled for June 9, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department Three of the Second Judicial District Court. The Defendant faces a maximum of ten years in prison for the burglary and 364 days in the Washoe County Jail for the damage he caused to Mr. Adams’ vehicle during the burglary. At that time, the defendant will also be sentenced in another case in which his DNA was found in blood on the center console of a vehicle that was burglarized in June of 2012.

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