Modesto man faces up to 17 years in prison for home burglary

A 24-year-old Modesto man faces up to 17 years in prison for breaking into a home and stealing a purse after the resident caught him, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office reported.

A jury on Feb. 18 found Nathan Charles Aguirre guilty of residential burglary. Aguirre has previously served prison time for a robbery conviction, which is considered a violent felony. Deputy District Attorney Jessica Bustos prosecuted the case.

About 3:15 a.m. on July 26, Aguirre entered the victim’s Modesto apartment through the back door. Prto apartment through the back door. Prosecutors said the victim was sleeping in the living room, woke up and saw Aguirre in her dining room. She told Aguirre to leave, and he left through the back door.

She called 911 and later realized her 19-year-old granddaughter’s purse had been taken from the home. Prosecutors said Modesto police officers found Aguirre about 15 minutes later at a nearby motel.

The officers found the stolen purse, a jacket and several credit cards belonging to the victims, according to prosecutors. Aguirre told authorities he had snorted methamphetamine just a few hours before the burglary.

Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Dawna Reeves scheduled a sentencing hearing for Aguirre on May 8. He remains in custody in jail.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Modesto man faces up to 17 years in prison for home burglary."