Judge orders TV thief to perform community service at hotel he stole from
A man who stole a television from the Plaza Hotel was ordered by a judge to return to the scene of the crime to perform volunteer work, but the hotel’s owner and its manager feel the community could be better served in other ways.
Ignacio E. Gallegos, 30, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty on Oct. 28 to felony larceny (over $500 but not more than $2,500) as part of a plea agreement. Gallegos was facing felony burglary and felony larceny charges stemming from a July 30 incident where officers with the Las Vegas Police Department found Gallegos at his home in the 2300 block of Hot Springs Blvd. with a 50-inch television that belonged to the Plaza Hotel.
Police reviewed footage from the hotel’s security cameras and watched Gallegos exit a hotel room carrying the TV. When police searched the hotel room, an officer found wet towels on the floor, and water in the shower, indicating that Gallegos had taken a shower before stealing the TV.
Under the terms of the repeat offender plea agreement, District Court Judge Abigail Aragon sentenced Gallegos to an 18-month suspended sentence with supervised probation. As a part of the agreement, Gallegos must admit to two previous felonies: a 2014 false imprisonment charge and a 2016 charge of fraudulent signing of credit cards.
He also must complete a drug court program and maintain employment. As an habitual offender, four years would be added to Gallegos’ sentence if he were to violate the terms of his probation.
Judge Aragon also ordered that Gallegos perform 30 hours of community service at the Plaza Hotel, provided hotel management will allow him to volunteer there.
However, Plaza Hotel General Manager Diane Kasha told the Optic Gallegos will not be allowed to work at the hotel in any capacity.
“I understand everyone needs a second chance, or a third chance,” Kasha said, “but I don’t understand why the judge would want him to come back to the place he took something from.”
Allan Affeldt, the hotel’s owner, said he’d rather see Gallegos volunteer somewhere that would benefit the entire community.
“This seems to me like restitution, as opposed to community service, and they’re different things,” Affeldt said. “Community service would mean working for the community — not the person or business you harmed.”
Both Kasha and Affeldt learned of the judge’s decision from an Optic reporter, and audio log notes from the Oct. 28 hearing filed in District Court state that no one from the hotel was contacted about the possible volunteer work arrangement.
In the plea agreement, Judge Aragon does offer alternatives, including Gallegos’ volunteering at Animal Welfare Coalition, or that he attend “a trade school class of his own choice.”
Kasha said that someone from the district attorney’s office called the hotel’s front desk once, but after returning the call, she never heard from anyone at the district attorney’s office again.
“I returned the phone call, and they have never gotten back to me,” Kasha said. “So I think at this point, the judge should consider the other options she has.”
