Visalia Man Sentenced to Prison for Violent Crimes
Today in Department 3 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Nathan Leedy sentenced Gage Burros, age 19, to 12 years, 4 months in state prison for a number of violent crimes committed in 2018 and 2019.
On August 23, 2019, Burros pleaded no contest to two separate cases. In the first case, he pleaded to second-degree burglary, vandalism, and grand theft. In the second case, he pleaded to first-degree residential robbery with the special allegation that he used a knife and that the victim was a vulnerable (elderly) person, first-degree burglary with a person present, criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon (knife), vehicle theft, elder adult abuse, false imprisonment of an elder, vandalism, grand theft, cruelty to an animal, and possession of a short-barreled shotgun. In a third case, today Burros pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon (metal shackles) while in custody. All counts are felonies.
On December 3, 2018, Burros broke into a Porterville business and stole $4,800 from the safe, while causing $7,000 worth of damage.
Early in the morning of January 30, 2019, wearing black hoods and white masks, Burros and an unidentified male crawled through the doggy door of a Visalia residence belonging to a 79-year-old woman. Burros and the other man taped the victim’s wrists and mouth. In an effort to intimidate her, the men stabbed the mattress she was laying on and threw her small dog into the bathroom to stop it from barking. They then stole her purse, assorted medication, a television and her car.
Using a tip, Visalia Police Department detectives were able to identify Burros as a suspect. Detectives obtained a distinct Air Jordan shoeprint from the scene and matched it to a shoe found in Burros’ residence. Detectives also found the same tape used in the crime, as well as an illegal firearm. An analysis of Burros’ phone showed that he made an internet search in an attempt to identify the pills he had stolen.
On September 23, 2019, while in custody, Burros used his shackles to attack another inmate.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Kalina Laleva and was investigated by Detective Bryan Somavia of the Visalia Police Department.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Assistant District Attorney Robert Dempsie (559) 636-5494