KEARNEY, Neb. — A Buffalo County man will face sentencing after being convicted of attempting to steal multiple vehicles.

37-year-old Justin Coccorese of Gibbon pleaded guilty to burglary and attempted robbery last week. As part of the plea deal, the state lowered a robbery charge to attempted robbery. The state says it will not seek a habitual criminal enhancement.

The charges date back to August when Kearney Police received a report of a man hiding under cars in the Walmart parking lot. Officers responded shortly after to a nearby neighborhood where witnesses say Coccorese entered a house and tried to steal a vehicle. Police say Coccorese was trying to flee in a different car parked on the street, but a homeowner pulled him from the vehicle. A police K-9 unit tracked him and officers arrested him hiding under a tree in the neighborhood.

The sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 17. Coccorese could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.