A man on pretrial release after being charged with burglary and theft in August was charged Wednesday with second-degree felony motor vehicle theft, according to a magistrate’s complaint filed in Superior Court.

Terrence Greg Santos Pablo, 28, was also issued a notice of committing a felony while on felony parole.

On October 21, a man reported his 2019 Mazda CX-5 stolen. His house had been broken into earlier and his vehicle key was one of the items taken. Surveillance footage showed a man getting into his car and backing out of the parking space.

On Monday, police were contacted by a woman who was suspicious about a car she had recently purchased. On November 8, a school friend told her he knew of a Mazda for sale for $300, and she agreed to buy it. An hour later, he told her the price was $500, and she agreed to the higher amount. The friend showed up in the Mazda CX-5.

The woman asked for documentation, which the friend quickly showed her before putting it back in the glove box. When she discussed the purchase with her father, who had access to a vehicle license database, he found that neither the VIN nor the license plate matched the Mazda.

He advised her to contact the police.

Then Pablo, a former classmate, contacted her on Facebook Messenger. He said the car belonged to his uncle and she had to give it back. He told her he would give her the $500 and threatened to go to the police if he didn’t.

Instead, he went to the police.

Police determined the license plates were stolen from a Kia Optima and the Mazda was stolen in October.

Pablo continued to contact her, and on Tuesday, the woman returned to police for a follow-up interview. While at the precinct, Pablo texted her and told her he was in a parking lot near her house and that he would come pick up the car from her.

Police went to the parking lot, where they caught Pablo when he tried to run away, according to the complaint.

If convicted, he faces up to 33 years in prison. He was held on $1,500 bail.

Previous expenses

In August, Pablo was charged with burglary of a motor vehicle as a second-degree felony, fraudulent use of a credit card and theft as a misdemeanor, and receiving stolen property as a misdemeanor.

He was accused of stealing a car in Talo’fo’fo’, then taking a debit card from a wallet and using it to make purchases. When questioned by police, Pablo admitted to buying a laptop that had been stolen in a burglary at Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary School.

A judge ordered Pablo, who faces 12 years in prison on the charges, released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.