A Turlock man, who shoved a child to the ground to help his brother steal a sports utility vehicle, has been convicted of carjacking.

Jesus Cervantes-Montanez, Jr., 32, was convicted of carjacking on Feb. 24, a strike under California law. He also admitted to a prior conviction for theft in February 2006, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

Upon entry of the plea, Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Ricardo Cordova sentenced Cervantes-Montanez to five years in state prison.

The case against Cervantes-Montanez arose out of events that occurred on the morning of May 23, 2009, on Locust Street in Turlock.

The owner of a 2001 red Chevy Tahoe SUV started her vehicle and left it warming up while she briefly went back inside her home to get her kids before leaving for their soccer game.

Cervantes- Montanez and his brother lived two blocks away and were walking down the street when they observed the running, but unattended, Chevy Tahoe in the victim’s driveway. Cervantes- Montanez’s brother then jumped into the driver’s seat of the Tahoe and began to drive away, according to the district attorney’s office.

The victim’s 11-year-old son saw the family car being driven away, so he ran after and tried to grab the door handle. Cervantes-Montanez was still outside the SUV and pushed the boy away from the vehicle and jumped into the passenger side of the vehicle.

The boy was not hurt and was able to get a good look at the brothers.

Cervantes-Montanez and his brother were located and arrested several hours later while still in the stolen vehicle in Tuolumne County. After Cervantes-Montanez pled guilty to possession of the stolen vehicle in Tuolumne County, he was extradited back to Stanislaus County to face his current carjacking charge.

Cervantes- Montanez’s brother previously pled guilty in Tuolumne and Stanislaus counties and was sentenced to state prison.