On Wednesday, Feb. 20, the day the jury trial was to have commenced, Ron Kimmerle, 49, and Taylor Dravenstatt, 20, both of Idyllwild, entered guilty pleas to single counts of felony burglary, were convicted and were formally sentenced to four years in state prison.

“This was a plea agreement between both sides,” said John Hall, senior public information specialist, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. “Both [were] sentenced to four years. Both pled guilty to one count of burglary and all other counts [were] dismissed in the interest of justice.”

Kimmerle and Dravenstatt were convicted for a string of burglaries in the early part of 2012.

Kimmerle was first arrested in Pine Cove April 27, released and subsequently rearrested three more times. His last arrest on June 2 resulted in ongoing incarceration up through his Feb. 20 conviction. Kimmerle will receive credit for 276 actual days served, plus an additional 276 for a total of 552 days, or a year and a half credit. Dravenstatt received 100 days credit by the same calculation. As part of the plea agreement, Kimmerle and Dravenstatt were ordered to pay $21,475 in restitution to their victims.

The court record shows denial of a motion by Kimmerle’s lawyer to suppress evidence of guns found in a CHP inventory search of Kimmerle’s vehicle after it was stopped and cited for various California Vehicle Code infractions. The defense claimed that the improper search of Kimmerle’s vehicle, along with statements Kimmerle made at the time of the traffic stop, tainted subsequent warrant searches that were instrumental in Kimmerle’s conviction. Denial of the motion by the court rendered all evidence obtained in the searches admissible.

Dravenstatt had been released on bail, but with his plea and burglary conviction last week, he is now incarcerated at Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I am so amazed and seriously concerned how much Kimmerle looks like me. I showed his photo to my wife and her eyebrows went up. I hope I don't get confused for that guy when I hang out in Idy. Perhaps I should look into wearing Groucho Marx glasses disguise.

    Glad these guys were taken offline to "pound-me-in-the-A**" prison