Santa Cruz County Man Sentenced For Vehicle Theft and Forgery

    SALINAS, CA, February 23, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced today that on February 21, 2019, Martin Roy Avila, age 35, a former resident of La Selva Beach, was sentenced by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Andrew Liu for three felony counts of vehicle theft and one felony count of forgery.

Between the months of May and June 2015, Avila stole three antique cars from the ranch property of the late Sherman Ball who was a resident of Monterey County. Immediately after Mr. Ball had passed away in May 2015, Avila went to the Ball ranch in Royal Oaks and removed a 1960 Ford truck. In June, he returned to the ranch and removed a 1940 Packard sedan and a 1950 Pontiac Chieftain from the barn located there. He then filed false documents with the California Department of Motor Vehicles to have the cars registered in his name. Avila repeatedly lied to the Ball family and to law enforcement when questioned about the vehicles, and even created a fake will as an attempt to steal more of Mr. Ball's property.

Avila was sentenced to three years of formal felony probation, 210 days in jail, and ordered to pay $8500.00 in restitution to the rightful heirs of Mr. Ball's estate.

This case was investigated by California Highway Patrol Officer Chuck Rodriguez.

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