ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) – A man is in jail after police say he was involved in a two-week crime spree around the city of Escondido.
Escondido police said 22-year-old Timothy Alvarado was arrested multiple times in May, but for some of the incidents he was only cited and then released due to the state of California’s zero bail policy.
According to police, Alvarado was released from a Vista jail on April 3 after serving a sentence related to a burglary conviction.
The state enacted its zero bail policy, due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on state Superior Courts, on April 13. According to police, “These new requirements resulted in zero bail for all felonies and misdemeanors that do not fall into one of (13) categories. As a result, persons arrested for felonies outside of the (13) categories were released on citations instead of being booked into jail with a set bail amount.”
Police said Alvarado “embarked on a crime spree in Escondido” starting in early May:
- May 2: Alvarado was arrested on suspicion of stealing a minivan from a used car lot. He then led officers on a high-speed pursuit that included driving the wrong way on city streets before he was finally stopped. He was cited and released.
- May 4: Alvarado was arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen Jaguar. He was cited and released.
- May 10: Alvarado was arrested after allegedly driving a stolen Mitsubishi Lancer. During the arrest, police said officers discovered he was in possession of meth. He was cited and released.
- May 14: Alvarado was arrested after police said he was driving the same Lancer that he had been arrested in on May 10. He was cited and released.
- May 12 and May 15: Alvarado received citations on these dates after being contacted by police. He was not arrested.
On May 16, police said Alvarado was arrested and booked into Vista jail on suspicion of attempted homicide. According to police, Alvarado is accused of stabbing a homeless man near the Escondido Sprinter Station on West Valley Parkway.
