Man with appetite disorder pleads no contest in food thefts

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A California man with a rare genetic disorder that gives him an insatiable appetite has pleaded no contest to breaking into houses to steal food and other belongings.

The San Luis Obispo County district attorney said in a statement Thursday that because of the condition, 20-year-old Tyler Jarvis was allowed to enter the pleas to five misdemeanors and get probation and treatment.

Jarvis was initially charged with felonies that could have led to jail time.

Prosecutors say they looked closely at his case to reach a just outcome. They say people who have unmonitored Prader-Willi Syndrome will often badly overeat and go to great lengths seeking food.

Jarvis has agreed to pay restitution to three victims, serve three years of probation and get residential treatment.