Suspected prowler arrested for attempted burglary in Ventura

A 50-year-old sex offender, Michael Hernandez Gonzalez, was arrested late Tuesday night on suspicion of breaking into an occupied Ventura home.

There was no contact between the suspect and the woman in the home, who left the when the suspected prowler forced his way inside.

Gonzalez was taken into custody when police caught him leaving the backyard of the home in Oxnard.

Officers responded to the location after a frightened resident called 911, saying a prowler was in her backyard and trying to get into her home.

Gonzalez was booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of residential burglary. He was being held this morning in lieu of $65,000 bail.

Last week, Gonzalez was released from Ventura County jail for a misdemeanor charge of trespassing and refusing to leave private property. 

If you or someone you know has been charged with burglary, you need a criminal defense attorney to protect your legal rights to the fullest extent.

Burglary is a felony and may also mean a " strike" on a defendant's record, resulting in greatly enhanced penalties for future felony convictions. 

Contact the law office Ventura County Criminal Defense Attorney Robert Helfend for a firm focused exclusively on the aggressive defense of clients facing various misdemeanor and felony charges in state and federal court.

Robert Helfend has more than 20 years of experience, and understands what it takes to defend a client in the face of felony burglary charges.