Rigoberto Villasenor-Sanchez v. Eric H. Holder Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Rigoberto Villasenor-Sanchez, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s removal order. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review de novo questions of law, Salviejo-Fernandez v. Gonzales, 455 F.3d 1063, 1066 (9th Cir.2006), and we deny the petition for review.

The BIA correctly determined that Villasenor-Sanchez is ineligible for cancellation of removal because his criminal convictions in 1999 interrupted the accrual of the requisite seven years of continuous residence in the United States. See 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(a)(2), (c)(1)(B).

Contrary to Villasenor-Sanchez’s contention, his 1999 conviction for petty theft, in violation of California Penal Code § 488, is a crime involving moral turpitude. See Castillo-Cruz v. Holder, 581 F.3d 1154, 1160 (9th Cir.2009) (per curiam) (“Under California law, a conviction for grand theft or petty theft under Cal.Penal Code § 484 requires, in common with other crimes of moral turpitude, ‘the specific intent to deprive the victim of his property permanently.’ ”); Flores Juarez v. Mukasey, 530 F.3d 1020, 1022 (9th Cir.2008).…