A preliminary hearing will continue on Monday for Leon Powell, who is accused of sneaking into the La Jolla home of food writer Jeanne Jones and stealing her jewelry.
Shortly after midnight on Oct. 5, Powell allegedly entered Jones' La Jolla Scenic Drive home by unknown means along with another man and looted it, fleeing when the 77-year-old author awoke and confronted them.
It was the second time in three years that burglars have targeted the home of Jones, author of more than 30 cookbooks and writer of the syndicated newspaper column "Cook It Light."
Find out what's happening in La Jollawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
On the evening of Nov. 5, 2010, three thieves wearing ski masks over their faces forced their way into the house, threatening Jones, her husband, a housekeeper and a nurse with pistols, according to police and prosecutors.
Jones, who was in bed following a medical procedure when the bandits burst in, was forced at gunpoint to open a safe.
Find out what's happening in La Jollawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The assailants collected cash, rings, Rolex watches and other jewelry and fled in a yellow SUV driven by a fourth accomplice.
A United Parcel Service driver who happened to be in the neighborhood saw the robbers rushing out of the victims' home and made a 911 call. Police caught up with the vehicle a short time later and arrested the suspects during a traffic stop on State Route 52.
The following September, the four defendants in the case—Thomas Walter Clark, 42, Aaron Jacob Espinoza, 24, Hector Guerra, 31, and 24-year-old Miguel Ocegueda, all of San Bernardino—were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 14 to 45 years for their roles in the violent burglary.
—City News Service contributed to this report.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
