PC 666 can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor.
666. Every person who, having been convicted of petty theft, grand
theft, auto theft under Section 10851 of the Vehicle Code, burglary,
carjacking, robbery, or a felony violation of Section 496 and having
served a term therefor in any penal institution or having been
imprisoned therein as a condition of probation for that offense, is
subsequently convicted of petty theft, then the person convicted of
that subsequent offense is punishable by imprisonment in the county
jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison.
If you served NO time in jail for the previous theft, then you would not qualify for PC 666 and you would likely be charged for the appropriate current theft offense.
- Carl