People v. Ronczyk CA5

BACKGROUND

In 2008, defendant was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age (Pen. Code, § 288)1 and was required to register pursuant to section 290. On March 19, 2019, defendant registered as a sex offender with the Kern County Sheriff’s Department. Several weeks later, defendant’s parole was suspended and a warrant issued because his whereabouts were unknown. On June 26, 2019, defendant was arrested. He explained he had been living with friends, but he returned every night to his residence at a particular address. Upon investigation, an officer discovered that the residence at this address was boarded up and vacant, although defendant had been seen in the neighborhood. On July 8, 2019, the Kern County District Attorney charged defendant with failure to register (§§ 290.013, subd. (a), 290.018, subd. (b); count 1), and alleged he had served a prior prison term (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). On July 18, 2019, the complaint was amended to allege a prior “strike” conviction within the meaning of the “Three Strikes” law (§§ 667, subds. (b)–(i), 1170.12, subds. (a)–(d)). The same day, defendant pled no contest to count 1 and admitted the prior strike conviction.…