Escapee Convicted of Burglary in Absentia

A burglary defendant who escaped from custody en route to his trial has been convicted in absentia of being the so-called “smoke detector inspector” thief, court officials said.

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury found Lorenzo Lorta, 36, guilty of seven counts of residential burglary. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 12, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Ramsayer. If Lorta is still a fugitive at that time, he could be sentenced in absentia as well.

Lorta escaped from the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho in Castaic on Tuesday as he was being put on a bus for transportation to the downtown county courthouse, where his trial was taking place.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys had concluded their cases before the escape. After learning of Lorta’s flight, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Melvin Grover on Tuesday went ahead with plans to instruct the jury, which then began deliberating. Jurors were not told of the escape.