Plea Entered in Case of Stolen Campaign Signs
A candidate in last year’s school board election in Hawthorne pleaded no contest Monday to misdemeanor charges of petty theft and stealing a rival candidate’s campaign signs.
Prosecutors said Hugo Rojas, 33, a former head of the city’s youth commission, entered the pleas before Superior Court Judge David Wesley, who sentenced him to five days in county jail, two years’ probation, 100 hours of community service and a $100 fine. Rojas was accused of hiring four students between the ages of 12 and 16 to steal yard signs belonging to Nilo Michelin, who won election over Rojas.
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