Burglar Gets 85 Years to Life for ‘3rd Strike’
A Reseda man with more than a decade-long history of burglaries was sentenced to 85 years to life in state prison Tuesday for breaking into two homes and a nonprofit charity championed by Cardinal Roger Mahony.
Anthony Sposato, 38, who was convicted on a “third strike,” will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars under the sentence handed down by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Sandy R. Kriegler.
“Mr. Sposato went to prison in both 1984 and 1989 after committing multiple burglaries,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. David Gelfound. “That jail time apparently made no impression.”
Gelfound said Sposato was charged with three burglaries in the latest case.
In two instances, the defendant targeted west San Fernando Valley homes, stealing jewelry and home electronics by day.
In a third, Sposato broke into the offices of “Hope In Youth,” a nonprofit charity on Lindley Avenue in Reseda. There he took donated equipment including computers.
“Hope in Youth” helps at-risk youth and their families. The organization has been a favorite of Mahony and other religious leaders in the Los Angeles area.
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