Atherton: TV-watching burglar sentenced to probation

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Vallejo resident David Lee Jeffrey Magris arrived at an Atherton home in December with an apparently simple mission: Steal a few things, and watch TV.

According to a report from the District Attorney’s Office, Magris, 31, allegedly broke into two detached garages — one of which was used as a TV room — on the property of a home on Jennings Lane, then ransacked the garages and filled a backpack and suitcase with $500 worth of loot.

At one point, Magris saw the resident of the home approaching and locked the door to the garage. The resident called the police, and when officers arrived they found Magris sitting on the couch watching TV.

Magris was promptly arrested and taken into custody on $25,000 bail. He was charged with burglary and trespassing, to which he pleaded not guilty.

After 189 days in county jail, Magris pleaded no contest at a March 27 preliminary hearing, and Judge Lisa Novak sentenced him to three years of supervised probation, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Conditions of the probation are to stay away from the victim’s residence, have no contact with the victim, pay $400 in fines and fees, submit to DNA testing, and to not possess any dangerous weapons or ammunition.

When police arrested Magris in December, they reportedly found baseball bats and a hatchet near him. Beer and wine had been taken from one of the garage’s refrigerators, but were unopened.

Reports from the DA’s office did not indicate what Magris was watching on TV at the time of his arrest.