Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

If the owner never called police, how would they know to file??

If he did, then the police could file if they thought they could prove you committed the crime.

Yes. Despite what Mr. Nelson wrote, the authorities sometimes do learn about crimes which the victim didn't report. (Murder, for example, is typically reported by a third party.) Whether to charge the suspect is their call, not the victim's. They are less likely to find out about a crime if the victim doesn't report it, but if they do find out then they can indeed arrest, charge, and prosecute the suspect.