Prison inmate appears in 5-year-old theft

A prison inmate appeared in East Fork Justice Court in connection with a drunken tryst five years ago in which she allegedly made off with $3,800.

Marie Rose Valdez, 36, said she has been incarcerated in Nevada State Prison since Sept. 20, 2021, on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. She was sentenced to 2-5 years in prison.

She is facing a charge of grand larceny. According to the victim, he was gambling at the Carson Valley Inn on Nov. 11, 2017, when Valdez sat down next to him.

The two chatted and they arranged to meet up later, with the man giving her a room key card. Both denied there was any offer of money involved. The man was drunk and fell asleep only to awake to find the door ajar and his wallet empty of his winnings.

Security footage showed Valdez, who was also staying at the hotel, rush to her room and come out with a bag. Deputies checking the room later reported it appeared she’d left in a hurry.

She was arrested and extradited to Douglas County from Sacramento on Valentine’s Day 2018. A warrant was issued for her arrest after she failed to appear three months later.

• A California State Prison inmate is facing a Dec. 13 arraignment on two counts of possession of a credit card without the owner’s permission.

Joseph Donald Dykes, 39, was spotted on security video at the Home Depot and Topsy Walmart purchasing $1,113.24 in merchandise using a credit card stolen during a South Lake Tahoe vehicle burglary reported in September 2021.

Dykes was the subject of news reports when he was arrested on Sept. 17, 2021, in South Lake Tahoe on several theft charges that occurred as residents were repopulating the city after being evacuated.