Safe breaker who stole cremation urn faces prison time.

Trenton Espinola with his attorney, David Glancy.

By Allison Scarbrough. Contributing Editor.

LUDINGTON — A 19-year-old Ludington man who pleaded guilty in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Feb. 9, to safe breaking and resisting a police officer, faces two-and-a-half to 15 years in prison.

Trenton Joseph Espinola, of 222 E. Melendy St., testified that on August 21 he went into a house; opened a safe; and stole $300 and a cremation urn.

“The keys were there, so all I had to do was open it,” Espinola said. He testified that the cremation urn was returned to the owners.

He was arrested, Sept. 25, by the Ludington Police Department on a warrant for felonies of safe breaking and second-degree home invasion following his arrest the previous day, Sept. 24, for assaulting/resisting/obstructing police. Espinola was served the warrant while lodged in jail.

In a plea agreement, the second-degree home invasion charge was dismissed, as well as the second resisting police charge. The plea agreement calls for a concurrent term of 90 days in jail for the resisting police conviction.

The maximum penalty for safe breaking is life in prison.

Two other files alleging charges of breaking and entering a building with intent; possession with intent to deliver or manufacture marijuana; and second-degree home invasion have yet to be resolved.

Sentencing on the two counts he pleaded guilty to on Tuesday is scheduled for April 5 at 2 p.m.