A Central Coast burglary suspect who bailed out of Monterey
County Jail last month because of a
”
clerical error,
”
said his lawyer, was re-arrested Monday.
A Central Coast burglary suspect who bailed out of Monterey County Jail last month because of a “clerical error,” said his lawyer, was re-arrested Monday.
Morgan Hicks, 34, was arrested after Santa Cruz County deputies tracked him to a Carmel Valley home. He was allegedly connected to an Aptos beach area burglary.
Hicks was given the moniker “Shovel Bandit” because he allegedly used a 5-foot shovel to pry his way into 20 homes in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties between June and September 2007.
Hicks was identified as a suspect at the time, but was arrested and convicted on drug and weapon possession charges and sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
In the interim, law enforcement officials said they were able to put together a case against Hicks for the burglaries. Because that case involves three jurisdictions, the state Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case, said a spokesman.
In October, Hicks was charged with more than 50 counts of residential burglary, identity theft, receiving stolen property and grand theft auto, charges that carry a 34-year state prison sentence.
At Hicks’ arraignment, a judge granted Deputy Attorney General Ralph Sivilla’s request to increase Hicks’ bail from $25,000 to $350,000. The case was assigned to Judge Terrance Duncan.
Hicks’ attorney, Richard Rutledge, said when Hicks next went before Duncan, a clerk mistakenly indicated in the minute order that Duncan reduced the bail to $25,000 and it was entered into records.
Rutledge said he had not requested a reduction because Hicks’ bail could have approached $800,000 under Monterey County’s bail schedule.
The error initially had no effect because Hicks’ parole agent had a no-bail hold on him at the jail. When that hold was lifted Oct. 29, Hicks was free to bail at the recorded $25,000 amount, which he did in May.
Sivilla learned of his release and scheduled a June 17 hearing to increase bail. Hicks, whose charges were reduced to a single count of possessing stolen property (a 2006 Toyota Solara), failed to appear two straight days and Duncan issued a $350,000 warrant for his arrest. Hicks was back in shackles in court Tuesday.
“Welcome back, Mr. Hicks,” said Duncan, who left his bail set at $350,000 and set a pretrial hearing for July 29.
Rutledge said late Tuesday he received no police reports indicating his client was suspected of committing a crime while he was free on bail.
