Opinion
November 30, 1992
Appeal from the Family Court, Kings County (Cozier, J.).
Ordered that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.
Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the presentment agency (see, Matter of David H., 69 N.Y.2d 792; People v Bracey, 41 N.Y.2d 296, 302), we are satisfied that it was legally sufficient to establish that the appellant committed an act which, if committed by an adult, would have constituted the crime of unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree (see, Matter of Brenda D., 186 A.D.2d 65; Matter of Stephen R., 182 A.D.2d 92; Matter of Jose M., 177 A.D.2d 399). The evidence adduced at the fact-finding hearing reveals that the arresting officer observed the vehicle in which the appellant was the driver being driven back and forth over a double yellow line. Its trunk lock appeared to be broken, and its trunk lid was flapping. After confirming that the vehicle was stolen, the arresting officer and his partner stopped the car and apprehended the appellant as he tried to flee. The dashboard was destroyed, the radio was missing, and the steering column was cracked and scraped. This direct evidence was sufficient to give rise to a presumption that the appellant did not have the owner's consent to use the vehicle and knew he did not have such consent (see, Penal Law § 165.05; Matter of Brenda D., supra; People v Yazum, 13 N.Y.2d 302). The evidence of the arresting officer's direct observations and investigation, combined with the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, sufficed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant committed acts which, if committed by an adult, would have constituted unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree (see, Matter of Brenda D., supra; Matter of Jose M., supra).
We reject the appellant's contention that Penal Law § 450.10 (11) does not authorize the service of notice of the release of stolen property upon an unrepresented juvenile prior to the commencement of a juvenile delinquency proceeding (see, Matter of James C., 179 A.D.2d 639; Matter of Nicomedes F., 177 A.D.2d 316). Further, while we agree with the Family Court that the release of the stolen vehicle within two days from delivery of such notice to the appellant in court did not meet the specific time limits of Penal Law § 450.10 (11), we reject the appellant's contention that the sanction imposed did not eliminate the prejudice to the appellant (see, People v Kelly, 62 N.Y.2d 516, 520-521; People v Cruz, 99 A.D.2d 406; People v Angelo, 93 A.D.2d 264).
The appellant's remaining contention is unpreserved for appellate review (see, People v Micheline, 154 A.D.2d 624; People v Smith, 144 A.D.2d 505). Bracken, J.P., Copertino, Pizzuto and Santucci, JJ., concur.