๐จ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐จ
On August 15, 2025, Joe Peterson was sentenced to 4 years in state prison after pleading guilty in El Dorado County Superior Court to taking a vehicle without consent, a felony. He also admitted a prior strike conviction.
The case stems from a February 19, 2025 incident when El Dorado County Sheriffโs Deputy Zierke stopped Peterson in El Dorado Hills while he was towing a stolen trailer and Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) with a Cadillac Escalade. Peterson initially claimed he bought the items for $7,000 but later admitted the UTV was stolen and said he was delivering both as collateral for a loan.
The investigation revealed the UTVโs ignition was damaged, Peterson carried falsified transfer paperwork, and a search of the Escalade uncovered meth pipes, which Peterson admitted were his. The victim confirmed both the trailer (valued at $8,000) and the UTV (valued at $25,000) had been stolen the previous day from her Sacramento storage unit. Surveillance footage also captured a black Escalade taking the property.
Peterson applied for mental health diversion, but the DAโs Office successfully opposed the request, and the court denied it.
Thanks to the strong investigative work of the El Dorado County Sheriffโs Office and prosecution by Deputy District Attorney Yvan Flores, Peterson has been held accountable and sentenced to state prison.
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