A man alleged to have stolen mail in Twentynine Palms with a 16 year-old behind the wheel of a a getaway car is facing charges of child abuse.
On Monday (October 7) the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Morongo Basin station reports that they received a report from a person who witnessed mail theft, and the report included a description of the vehicle.
At around 11 a.m, deputies spotted a vehicle matching the description driving on Twentynine Palms Highway near Lear Ave, and conducted a traffic stop. Deputies report that an unidentified 16 year-old was driving the vehicle and identified the passenger as Timothy Burleson, Jr., 41, who is a convicted felon. Deputies report finding evidence of stolen mail inside the vehicle, and that witnesses identified Burleson as the person behind the theft.
Timothy Burleson, Jr. was arrested on suspicion of two charges of child abuse and conspiracy to commit a crime. A representative with the Sheriff’s Morongo Basin Station confirmed that allowing a 16 year-old to drive a vehicle while committing a crime is considered criminal child abuse. Burleson may be facing additional federal charges for the mail theft. He is being held on $110,000 bail.
