‘Third Strike’ Felon Flees Court After Hearing His Fate

A “third striker” facing a prison sentence of 25 years to life for drug-related offenses fled from a Laguna Niguel courthouse Tuesday in a white Mazda pickup, authorities said.

Frank Soto, 45, of Mission Viejo was in the South Justice Center when a judge granted a request to let the defendant and his attorney step outside the courtroom to talk, said Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Doan.

“He knew he was going away for the rest of his life, and he didn’t like it,” said Doan.

Soto, now subject to a $250,000 arrest warrant, is described as armed and dangerous, Doan said.

The Orange County district attorney’s office filed charges on July 20 against Soto, including one count of felony possession of cocaine, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Elizabeth Henderson.

Soto was at the Laguna Niguel Courthouse on Tuesday to appear at his first arraignment and was not yet in custody. Henderson said perhaps Soto was not prepared for the harsh reality.

“I think he realized for the first time the serious nature of the matter when the judge had advised him of the charges--that he had strike priors,” Henderson said.

In court documents, prosecutors accused Soto of having four “strikes,” including a 1986 conviction in federal court in Illinois for conspiracy to commit murder. He was also convicted of robbery in Los Angeles County in 1976, 1979 and 1982, the records show.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Soto on March 26, but prosecutors initially declined to file charges pending further investigation, Henderson said. On Sept. 5, prosecutors notified Soto by mail that they were charging him with a felony count of cocaine possession, plus three misdemeanors. The letter instructed Soto to appear in court Tuesday.

When a felony case is filed months after an arrest, prosecutors usually notify a defendant by mail--or by asking police to arrest the suspect. “It could be handled either way,” Henderson said.

The “three-strikes” law mandates a sentence of 25 years to life for a felon who commits a third felony.

Authorities described Soto as 5 feet 8 inches, of medium build and with slicked-back hair and heavy tattooing.