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Christopher Jackson is making headlines, as the media has dinged him the “Snake Burglar" because he crawled around on his belly to stay below motion detectors, as surveillance captured video at multiple targeted locations he terrorized. Jackson walked a free man after pleading guilty to 54 felony charges. But this isn’t the first time he has been released for other felony crimes under his belt.
Riverside Police caught him on April 12, where he was served with a 16 month sentencing for the prior 23 felonies, but only served 10 days of that sentence due to jail overcrowding.
"It is unconscionable that a habitual offender like Christopher Jackson can steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from hard-working people, admit to it, and legally serve less time in jail than the time it will take his hundreds of victims to recoup their losses," Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin said in a statement.
Jackson's targeted health clinics, restaurants and beauty salons. Regardless of the allegations against him, he managed to walk-away a free man.
According to Hestrin's office, two California laws led to Jackson's immediate release – Proposition 47 and AB109, which reduced the amount of inmates in state prisons and lowered the penalties for some crimes. Under the laws and because the burglaries are classified as nonviolent offenses, "Jackson was not eligible to receive any prison time," Hestrin's office said.
Jackson was sentenced to seven months in jail and will receive 12 years of probation, where he must wear a GPS ankle monitor and pay more than $150,000 in fines.