Woman Dodges Prison In Auto Theft Confess

JULY 31--The Minnesota woman who made the mistake of confessing to an auto theft in her personal journal--a volume that ended up in police possession--has been spared a prison term by a judge who placed her on probation for three years.

At a District Court hearing Monday, Vanessa Guerra, 31, was sentenced in connection with her April guilty plea to receiving stolen property, a felony.

While the count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, Guerra got off with a probationary term. Judge Krista Jass fined Guerra $454 and barred her from possessing alcohol, drugs, guns, ammo, or explosives. She will also be subject to unannounced searches of her person, car, home, and workplace.

Guerra was charged last year with the theft of a $2000 Ford Freestar van that she sold for scrap in Blue Earth county. “Witnesses at the auto salvage business...stated that Guerra had brought the van in and sold it to them,” according to a criminal complaint.

While probing the auto theft, investigator Andrew Konechne visited the home of Guerra’s mother, with whom Guerra and her boyfriend had recently resided. Guerra’s parent turned over her daughter’s personal journal, which contained incriminating handwritten entries.

On the same say that the van was reported missing, Guerra wrote, “Totally stole a car today! Something I never thought of doing.” She added, “Fucken super freaking out about it.”

If Guerra (seen above) successfully completes probation, the receiving stolen property charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor conviction.

Guerra, who has worked as a DoorDash driver, has prior convictions for theft, pot possession, driving with a suspended license, and driving without insurance. (3 pages)