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Gallery owner sentenced in Costa Mesa home invasion that went fatally wrong

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A Los Angeles gallery owner was sentenced to two years in prison Wednesday for his part in a Costa Mesa home invasion gone wrong that ended with him dumping the body of his stepbrother, shot during an encounter in the house, and fleeing to Mexico.

Jacob Anthonisen, 40, pleaded guilty in Orange County Superior Court last month to first-degree burglary, but he could be free in a week or two because of the time he’s already spent behind bars, according to his lawyer.

Anthonisen has been in Orange County Jail since his arrest in October 2013, and that combined with credit for good behavior means he only has 25 days left on the two-year sentence, defense attorney Ashby Sorensen said.

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Once they receive the paperwork, state prison officials are likely to parole Anthonisen immediately, Sorensen said.

The charges against Anthonisen resulted from police connecting the break-in to the mysterious discovery of a decomposing body in a parked car in Los Angeles County.

Prosecutors said Anthonisen, his stepbrother Steven Simmons and a friend, Brent Buckner, pried open the door of the Costa Mesa home on the night of May 28, 2012. Authorities said the three were part of a burglary crew that targeted houses around Orange County.

When Simmons and Buckner went upstairs, they realized someone was home and pepper-sprayed the man, according to testimony from Costa Mesa police detectives.

The resident grabbed a handgun and opened fire, hitting Simmons in the chest, and the two intruders fled to an SUV outside where Anthonisen was waiting, police said. No charges were filed against the resident.

Simmons died in the car, which Anthonisen left on a street in Los Angeles’ Fairfax District near West Hollywood before fleeing the country, prosecutors said.

Police said they found Simmons’ body almost two weeks after the break-in when they were called to investigate a foul smell coming from the SUV.

Soon after, investigators announced that Anthonisen was a person of interest. U.S. marshals took him into custody in October 2013 after Mexican authorities arrested him.

Anthonisen pleaded guilty to the burglary charge as part of agreement that included prosecutors dropping felonies for attempted robbery and conspiracy.

Authorities had been trying to charge Anthonisen and Buckner with murder, according to Sorensen.

Buckner is still facing charges in the case. He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of burglary and one count each of attempted robbery and conspiracy.

He’s free on $50,000 bail and is due back in court in August, according to court records.

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