SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A San Francisco Superior Court judge kept his promise, sending a serial car burglar to state prison after yet another arrest. This comes after the I-Team dug into the suspect's records, showing how judge after judge let him go with just a few months in jail, only for the suspect to reoffend.
Robert Sonza came to our attention two years ago; he was the first arrest under the SFPD's bait car campaign. Despite more than a dozen arrests for all sorts of felonies, he avoided state prison until now.
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The I-Team watched in January as 27-year-old Robert Sonza pled guilty to his latest felonies -- Receiving Stolen Property, Accessory After the Fact, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Concealed Firearm in a Vehicle, Possession of Ammunition. Judge Bruce E. Chan sentenced Sonza to three years, eight months in state prison but stayed it, allowing him to leave jail after four months. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins wanted Sonza to serve state prison time right away.
She told the I-Team in January, "We were prepared to go to trial. We wanted to see accountability for a man that has continued to victimize people in San Francisco and wreak havoc on our streets."
Over the past five years, Sonza has been arrested more than a dozen times. He has convictions for car burglary, grand theft, hit and run, shoplifting, domestic violence and more. He has a history of breaking into cars and running from police. In February of 2022, Sonza ran over an officer's foot with a stolen car at the Japantown garage. Less than three months later, he rammed into two patrol cars, injuring officers, damaging several houses, and a civilian's car before police caught him in Chinatown after a foot race. Last September, Sonza admitted working with a juvenile accomplice to break into cars at the Palace of Fine Arts. Still, Judge Chan wanted to give Sonza another chance and let him out of jail. But in March, Sonza was arrested for Grand Theft at the San Jose Macy's and for another car burglary in San Francisco.
"Did not surprise me," Jenkins said. "That has been Mr. Sonza's pattern of behavior for some time now."
RELATED: SF judge lets serial car burglar out of jail after less than 4 months, I-Team investigates
Late last week, Judge Chan revoked Sonza's probation, sentencing him to three years, eight months in state prison, and addressed his disagreement with Jenkins: "What occurred was a difference of opinion in how to protect the public and property and how to ensure that Mr. Sonza would not reoffend."
Jenkins responded, "We're pleased that the judge held him to the agreement that they had and now will have him suffer a true consequence. It is quite unfortunate, however, that we've got other victims now who have had to suffer at the hands of Mr. Sonza in the interim time."
Public Defender Sylvia Nguyen read a statement, saying it's worth giving second chances in many cases: "While it didn't work out in this situation with Robert, unfortunately, there are still countless individuals. So many people who remain out of the criminal justice system because someone gave them a second chance, or even a third or fourth chance,"
We also got a reaction Monday from two of Sonza's victims, tourists who lost cash, a $1,200 iPad, and a $3,500 laptop when he broke into their rental car while they toured Alcatraz in 2023.
EXCLUSIVE: Repeat SF car burglar rearrested month after being released from jail by judge
"It's ridiculous that it's went through all this, and it seems like there should be more time than that. But you know, I mean, at least he's following through with what he had said he would do," said Linda Oldiges.
"Well, I guess my big thing is, look at all that nice money, all of you California taxpayers had to pay for all this joke of a mess that he's done, I mean, that's just sad," said Dan Oldiges.
Sonza still has to face the felony Grand Theft charge from San Jose.
Take a look at more stories and videos by the ABC7 News I-Team.