A felon who stole a car and led sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit in San Jacinto and Hemet was bound for state prison Thursday, April 21, to serve a nearly three-year sentence. Pedro Pineda, 30, pleaded guilty to auto theft during a hearing Tuesday, April 19, at the Banning Justice Center. The plea was part of a negotiated agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors dropped charges of evading a peace officer and being in possession of methamphetamine. Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton certified the terms of the plea bargain and sentenced Pineda to two years, eight months in prison. Sheriff’s deputies initiated the defendant’s transfer to a state correctional facility Thursday morning, according to court r
