Santa Barbara landlord Dario Pini, who is facing burglary charges after he was allegedly seen taking construction materials off a downtown site, had his charges reduced from felonies to misdemeanors in Santa Barbara Superior Court on Friday.

Pini, who owns hundred of properties in Santa Barbara, was taken into custody on March 22 after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with a burglary that occurred earlier that week.

Neighbors of 316 W. Carrillo St. reported that Pini was seen taking copper tubing, pipe fittings and coaxial cable from a nearby property, where renovation work had begun.

When a neighbor confronted Pini, he told the resident that he had permission to be there, but dropped items from the residence as he left the scene, police said.

Deputy District Attorney Greg Boller told Noozhawk Friday that Judge Clifford Anderson granted the request to reduce the charges to a burglary misdemeanor, a request that was made as a result of new information obtained since the case was initially filed as a felony.

“The newly obtained information came as a result of additional interviews of witnesses, communication with the alleged victim, review of photographs, and further investigation as to the valuation of property at issue,” Boller said.

Pini’s next court appearance will be May 2 for a readiness and settlement conference.

He is facing a maximum punishment of one year in the county jail if convicted.

Pini’s attorney, Josh Lynn, said he had no comment on the case at this time.

— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.