Robert Diaz, 18, was found guilty of “burglary of a building,” a state jail felony, by a Live Oak County jury on Thursday afternoon.

Diaz, represented by Alice lawyer Hector Gonzalez, had been offered probation for five years, according to Assistant District Attorney Deborah Branch. However, Diaz refused and insisted on a jury trial. A state jail felony could mean up to two years prison time.

Michael Hardesty, owner of Bar H Outfitters, testified his business had been burglarized in September 2008 and several guns and ammunition had been taken. A week later, his business was again burglarized and more guns, ammo, pocketknives, etc., had been taken. Branch asked Hardesty to draw an image of his business and show where the wall was opened and the distance to the secured guns.

Three Rivers police officer William Jones testified he, along with Police Chief Vance Roberts, Cpl. J.R. Rodriguez and LOC Sheriff’s Investigator Charlie Stroleny, had investigated the burglaries. They found where the burglar[s] had entered and other details of the burglary. “Our main concern was what was taken were weapons that would be in the hands of the wrong individuals,” Jones said.

Additionally, Jones recounted another incident that occurred two weeks after the burglaries where he interrupted a burglary-of-a-vehicle-in-progress. “I received a report of some individuals siphoning gas from a vehicle. When I arrived, the subjects ran off. I recognized one of the subjects and chased after him,” Jones said.

After a day and half of similar testimony, the jury deliberated for less than an hour and found Diaz guilty, according to district clerk records. District Judge Joel Johnson ordered a pre-sentence investigation on Diaz and immediately confined him. Diaz will be sentenced on April 8 at 9 a.m.

Two other Three Rivers teens were indicted in related burglaries. Randal Wayne Miller, 18, was indicted on four counts and has already pleaded guilty. He was offered a probated sentence and will be sentenced on April 8. “He pled to probation; so now it is up to the court to decide,” Branch said. Victor Carbajal, 18, refused a probated offer from the DA’s office and is set for a jury trial on March 16.