SAN FRANCISCO, CA (KGO) — After years of repeated arrests and minimal sentencing, Robert Sonza, a 27-year-old serial car burglar, has finally been sentenced to state prison. This decision was made by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Bruce E. Chan, who had previously allowed Sonza to serve only short jail stints despite multiple felonies.
Sonza’s latest arrest occurred after his involvement in a string of criminal activities, including receiving stolen property, possessing firearms, and car burglaries. In January 2025, Sonza pled guilty to several felony charges, including Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Concealed Firearm in a Vehicle. Despite a recommendation from San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to immediately send Sonza to state prison, Judge Chan initially allowed Sonza to serve only four months in jail for his crimes.
However, after being arrested again in March 2025 for Grand Theft and another car burglary, Judge Chan revoked his probation and sentenced him to three years and eight months in state prison.
Sonza’s criminal history spans over five years with more than a dozen arrests, including charges for grand theft, hit and run, and shoplifting. He has become notorious for his repeated car burglaries and evading police, often causing significant harm to both people and property.
In February 2022, Sonza even ran over an officer’s foot with a stolen car during a getaway attempt at the Japantown garage, and in May 2022, he rammed two patrol cars, injuring officers and damaging several civilian vehicles. Despite this, previous judges gave him several opportunities to avoid prison, which allowed him to continue his crime spree.
Sonza’s crimes also affected innocent victims, including tourists who lost over $5,000 worth of personal belongings when he broke into their rental car in 2023 while they were touring Alcatraz.
In a statement, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins expressed her relief that Sonza would finally face real consequences but lamented the damage caused by his delays in facing justice. Jenkins noted that Sonza’s pattern of criminal behavior has continued to harm the public, particularly vulnerable victims.
Public Defender Sylvia Nguyen argued that second chances should remain a part of the justice system, but acknowledged that Sonza’s case was an unfortunate exception where such leniency did not lead to positive outcomes.
The Oldiges family, who were victims of one of Sonza’s car burglaries, shared their frustration with the system, commenting on the high costs to taxpayers for dealing with Sonza’s repeated offenses. They voiced their disappointment that such an offender was allowed to continue his criminal behavior for so long.
Sonza still faces a felony Grand Theft charge from a San Jose incident, and his legal battle is far from over.
