Violent Home Invasion Suspect Jumps Bail During Hearing

LAGUNA BEACH, CA —A Placentia man who jumped bail is back behind bars, Wednesday. The man is suspected of robbing a Laguna Beach home last year, and being part of the event where a 71-year-old woman was beaten, Laguna Beach Police reported.

Hector Fernando Cardoso, 42, was in court last Thursday for a pretrial hearing on felony charges of conspiracy, first-degree robbery and false imprisonment of an elder by violence.

Prosecutors were moving to increase his bail from $250,000 to $750,000 based on new evidence, when he asked to step outside the courtroom to make arrangements to pay the higher bail. Instead, he left the courthouse, Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jim Cota said.

A judge then issued a warrant for Cardoso's arrest when he failed to return to court. He was arrested in Placentia on Tuesday night, Cota said.

The case stems from a home invasion robbery at 30262 Laguna Canyon Road on June 11 of last year. Cardoso, along with other masked men in tactical gear, allegedly broke into the home armed with a gun, a stun gun and zip ties.

The robbers knew one of the occupants of the home was on vacation and had left his or her mother to mind the house, Cota said. The woman was beaten but declined a trip to a hospital, the sergeant said.

Police have presented new evidence to prosecutors regarding other suspects in the robbery, Cota said.

Cardosa is due back in court Thursday.

City News Service, Patch editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.