Burglar sentenced to six years

A 22-year-old Gardnerville man was sentenced Tuesday to six years in Nevada State Prison for his part in a burglary spree that targeted homes and vehicles in northern Douglas County.

Fred Santens Jr. must serve a minimum of 14 months before he is eligible for parole.

District Judge Dave Gamble ordered him to pay $2,205 restitution.

Lawyer Matthew Ence asked Gamble to consider what he said was Santens' lesser role in the burglaries and sentence him to probation.

"He doesn't have prior felonies, he knows he's done wrong and wants to pay people back," Ence said.

Prosecutor Mark Jackson said the Legislature considers vehicle burglaries the same as residential.

"I'm not sure the message from this court should be, 'If you commit house burglaries, you go to prison. If it's a car burglary, I'll give you probation,'" Jackson said.

"When I look at intent, the defendant said, 'I did what I had to do to get money,'" Jackson said. "All he cared about was himself and how to feed his methamphetamine addiction."

Santens called his actions "stupid."

"I would like to pay it back," he said.

Gamble, who first dealt with Santens as a juvenile, asked him what his plans were and about his inability to articulate any wrong-doing.

"You can't even be bothered to write what you think is wrong about this to me," Gamble said. "I don't know what you think or whether you are thinking."

He gave Santens credit for 57 days in custody. Santens and three other were involved in four residential and eight vehicle burglaries in December and January. Several other attempts were thwarted by alert neighbors. Investigators were led to the suspects in January by a 57-year-old Johnson Lane woman who had been checking vehicles in shopping center parking lots for her stolen handicap parking sign.

The victim spotted the permit in a defendant's vehicle at Target and investigators followed the car to a trailer at Silver City RV Park which was full of stolen property. Investigators estimated the total property loss and damage at $100,000.

Three of the defendants have been sent to prison; the fourth is awaiting sentencing.