T.O. man pleads guilty to charge of insurance fraud

Yair Romo Hernandez, 26, of Thousand Oaks recently pleaded guilty to felony auto insurance fraud. He'll be sentenced on April 21 in Ventura.

On Sept. 22, 2007, Hernandez falsely reported to the Ventura Police Department that his 2007 Nissan pickup truck had been stolen from downtown Ventura the previous night.

Three days later, Hernandez filed a claim for his "stolen vehicle" with Topa Insurance.

CHP detectives determined that between 2 and 3 a.m. Sept. 22, Hernandez was involved in a single-car accident on the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles. The vehicle was towed early that morning to the MZ Body Shop in Los Angeles. Hernandez never picked up his vehicle or had it repaired.

In December, the body shop notified the CHP about the unclaimed vehicle, which prompted the department to investigate.

Hernandez has a prior felony conviction and previously served a prison term. He faces a maximum penalty of 11 years in state prison and up to $50,000 in fines. He remains in custody.