By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The former Centralia College student who admitted to a string of fast food restaurant rooftop break-ins in which thousands of dollars were stolen has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
Alexis Cardenas, 26, was arrested in February for the incidents in the late spring of 2015 in Centralia.
Alexis Cardenas
Most of the victim establishments discovered someone had broke into their safes after entering the building by cutting a hole in the roof. Cardenas was released from prison in 2014 for a similar caper at a KFC in King County, according to authorities.
Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead and defense attorney David Arcuri on Wednesday made the agreed recommendation of 148 months to a judge in Lewis County Superior Court. Judge Andrew Toynbee agreed.
Cardenas pleaded guilty in March to five counts of second-degree burglary, five counts of first-degree malicious mischief and one count of attempted delivery of cocaine. The businesses locally included Arby’s, Wendy’s and McDonalds in Centralia.
Halstead said three of Cardenas’s accomplices have been sentenced for their roles.
Joaquin Armenta recently was given five years and eight months and Cole T. Moon received the same amount of time. Moon had previously gotten 45 days in jail for the McDonald’s burglary.
Cardenas’s girlfriend at the time was originally charged with one count each of second-degree burglary and first-degree malicious mischief but Halstead said her participation turned out to be even more limited.
Morelia V. Ayala Garcia, now 20, of Centralia, was completely cooperative, Halstead said.
She pleaded guilty to reduced charges of three counts of third-degree malicious mischief and was given 30 days in jail, which could be served on electronic home monitoring.
Halstead said today more suspects are still outstanding.
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For background, read “Fast food roof top burglar convicted after plea deal” from Wednesday March 22, 2017, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
To Wyatt- First you start by talking about the gov. employees that have stolen funds and then you go on to say if these kids had “better careers and mentors”. Well the gov. employees did have better jobs and mentors and THEY still made bad choices. So you really have nothing to stand on.
The sentencing seemed a little steep. The burgled only netted less than 5000. We have county employees using govt funds for mega shopping sprees over 10 times the amount getting only 12 months. These are just kids sick of working minimum wage jobs that don’t pay enough. Maybe if they had better careers and mentors this would have not happened. I really do not see how this is anymore malicious than the treasurers thievery. Let the magnitude of the crime determine the time. Rediculous.