People v. Fires CA1/1

I.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL

BACKGROUND

In January 2021, Fires threatened to stab two strangers, a woman and her elderly father, and pulled out a knife.1 He was arrested and taken to jail. Later that month, Fires was charged in case no. SCR-743686-1 (the felony case) with two counts of criminal threats and one count of elder abuse, all felonies, and a misdemeanor count of exhibiting a deadly weapon.2 In March, after being released from jail, he was charged in case no. SCR-745153-1 (the misdemeanor case) with two misdemeanor counts committed earlier that month, prowling and willfully tampering with the contents of a vehicle.3 Under a plea agreement, Fires pleaded no contest to elder abuse in the felony case and no contest to prowling in the misdemeanor case in exchange

These facts are drawn from the probation report. 2 The charges were brought under Penal Code sections 422, subdivision (a) (criminal threats), 368, subdivision (b)(1) (elder abuse), and 417, subdivision (a)(1) (exhibiting weapon). All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise noted. 3The prowling charge was brought under section 647, subdivision (h), and the tampering charge was brought…