Man Gets 9 Years for Home Burglaries
The man whom authorities blame for committing more than 60 burglaries in east Ventura County homes was sentenced Tuesday to nine years and four months in state prison.
The sentence comes three weeks after Dennis Wayne Spangler, 52, of Van Nuys pleaded guilty to five counts of residential burglary.
Spangler initially pleaded not guilty to seven burglary counts. But at his preliminary hearing in August, he agreed to plead guilty to five of the charges if the remaining two counts against him were dropped.
Authorities said Spangler, who drove a gray Jaguar to burglarize the homes, would prowl the streets looking for open windows and doors. After his arrest earlier this year, authorities said Spangler was responsible for more than 300 thefts in Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties. Police believe he burglarized 62 homes in eastern Ventura County, stealing as much as $400,000 in property.
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