Category : Robbery

State of Violent Crimes in America

Although data shows that violent crimes are declining in America, this is really nothing new–the real story is that the rate of decline has slowed.  In many regions, the numbers of violent events are lower, but by a smaller margin than previous years — and the ultimate violent crime is skyrocketing in some locales.  Get the real facts below.

If you know you are a suspect or have been charged with a violent criminal offense, you do need a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.   Learn about Imhoff & Associates here and more about related DUI/DWI information.

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Lindsay Lohan Charged With Felony Grand Theft

Under California Penal Code Section 487, grand theft is defined as “the unlawful taking of another’s property” valued above $950. Property valued under $950.00 is considered a petty theft under Penal Code 484. California grand theft can be carried out by larceny (taking of another’s property) which occurs most often in shoplifting cases, embezzlement (unlawful taking of something entrusted to you), which occurs most often in an employment situation, tricking or deceiving someone to turn over their property without ownership rights or making false representations to defraud someone out of either the possession of their property or their ownership of the property. A California grand conviction theft carries up to three years in a California state prison. A petty theft conviction carries a fine up to $1,000 or up to six month’s jail time in a county jail or both.

Case Example:

Actress Lindsay Lohan was charged with felony grand theft on Wednesday February 9, 2011 for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice jewelry store on January 22, 2011. Surveillance video at the jewelry store showed her wearing the necklace while at the store, and photos taken a week later show her wearing a similar necklace. The necklace was returned to a police station before investigators arrived to search her home in Venice, CA. If found guilty, should could face up to three years in state prison and in violation of her current probation terms. She was recently released from three months of mandatory rehab treatment because she had failed a drug test while on probation for her 2007 drug and alcohol DUI conviction.

Lohan plead not guilty to felony grand theft charges through her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley. Lohan claims the necklace was on loan to her. Judge Schwartz set bail at $40,000. He told Lohan that it appeared she had violated her 2007 DUI probation, and warned her that if she violated the law while out on bail, he would have her arrested and held. Judge Schwartz also ordered Lohan not to have any contact with the jewelry store that reported the missing necklace after someone had sent flowers to the store on behalf of Lohan. On March 10, 2011, Lohan turned down a plea agreement offered by Los Angeles prosecutors that would have meant a guaranteed jail sentence. She will return to court in April 2011 for a preliminary hearing.

If you have been arrested for a felony grand theft/shop lifting or petty theft in California, you should hire a California criminal defense attorney. A conviction is generally based upon the store’s video camera evidence. The attorney may be able to get the charges reduced to a misdemeanor petty theft, trespass, an infraction or get the case dismissed for lack of evidence or witnesses, or get you probation or community service.

Massachusetts Men Accused of Kiddnapping While Stealing

The crime of kidnapping in Massachusetts is a serious felony offense. Chapter 265, Section 26 of the Massachusetts Statutes provides that anyone who forcibly or secretly confines, kidnaps or imprisons another person against the person’s will within the Commonwealth or forcibly carries or sends such person outside of the Commonwealth with either the intent to secretly confine or imprison that person, faces imprisonment in the state prison of not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $1,000 and imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 2 years. If  a firearm, gun or assault weapon is involved in the crime, the punishment is confinement in state prison for not less than 10 years or in a house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years. The firearm provision does not apply to a parent of a child under 18 who takes custody of the child.

If the kidnapping crime is committed in connection with the intent to extort money, the punishment is life in prison or any term of years in the state prison, unless a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine gun or assault weapon are used, then the punishment is life or for any term of years, but not less than 20 years in the state prison. When someone is armed with a dangerous weapon and inflicts serious bodily injury or sexually assaults the confined or kidnapped person, the punishment is imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 25 years. Bodily injury is defined under the statute as “permanent disfigurement, protracted loss or impairment of a bodily function, limb or organ or substantial risk of death”.

When the kidnap or confinement offense involves a child under 16 who is taken against his or her will within the Commonwealth or forcibly carried or sent out the Commonwealth either with the intent to secretly confine or imprison the child, the crime is punishment by not more than 15 years in state prison. This provision does not apply to a parent who takes custody of a child under 16 years of age.

Case Example:

Two Worcester men were accused of stealing a 2002 Toyota Sienna on July 12, 2010 from a Gulf gas station 185 Madison St. with two sleeping children in the back seat while the driver was in the gas station. Police were called and within minutes found the van parked at the corner of Lafayette and Scott with the two children in the vehicle unharmed. Witnesses gave police a description of the two men. Jaime Collazo, 36, was then arrested shortly thereafter hiding on a third floor porch and charged with two counts of Massachusetts kidnapping and trespassing. The other defendant, Christopher Colecchi, 28, was also accused of stealing another car after the incident and was pursued by the police on the I-290 in a high speed chase and then by foot after he crashed the vehicle. Colecchi was charged with two counts of Massachusetts kidnapping, operating a vehicle as to endanger, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, leaving the scene of property damage, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, and possession of Class B substance. Colecchi’s defense attorney says his client told him that whoever took the first vehicle got out as soon as they discovered the children were in the vehicle. Jaime Collazo, 36 was also arrested hiding on a third floor porch and charged with two counts of kidnapping and trespassing. Collazo’s defense attorney said the suspects had no intention to kidnap anyone, and that the van was stopped when the suspects noticed the children inside.

If you have been arrested for a kidnapping or related offense in Massachusetts, you should hire a Massachusetts criminal defense attorney immediately to defend you. These are serious charges, and you could face long prison sentences and other penalties, including fines. The attorney may be able to argue that there was insufficient evidence in your kidnapping case, or the alleged crime against you was one of mistaken identity or a misunderstanding or the alleged victim that was taken voluntarily consented to go with you to get the case dismissed or reduced to lesser charges.

Maryland Men Charged with Armed Robbery

Four men from Ellicott City, Maryland have been charged with five felonies for their alleged roles in a recent robbery of a Pizza Hut in Clarksville, Maryland.

Hugo Perez, 30, Pablo Ramos, 30, Adan Ramos, 27, and Tulio Sandoval, 19, were indicted on the following criminal charges:

• Armed robbery
• Assault
• Theft
• Weapons violations
• Reckless endangerment

According to authorities, these four men all live together in eastern Maryland.

Jose Lopez, 33, a fifth man allegedly involved in the robbery, will also be charged at a later time for his role in the crimes. Lopez, who now has an arrest warrant out, is currently being treated for a gun wound at an area critical care center. Police have stated that Lopez accidentally shot himself in the leg while fleeing the scene in the getaway car.

Details of the Crimes

This pizza place robbery occurred at around 10 p.m. when masked and armed gunmen entered the eatery and corralled all five employees into a backroom freezer. No customers were in the restaurant at the time of the incident, nor was any innocent employee hurt.

While employees were locked away, the robbers proceeded to take all of the money out of the registers and the office safe. They then departed in a white SUV that had been parked outside.

Employee Alerted Police on Cell Phone

Authorities became aware of the robbery when an employee, still locked in the freezer, called 911 from his cell phone and described the robbers, as well as their getaway car, to operators.

Within minutes, a nearby patrolling officer spotted the getaway vehicle and continued to tail it until other patrols could come to backup a traffic stop.

Following the stop, police found both money and guns in the car. All men in the SUV were arrested on the spot.

(Source: The Baltimore Sun)

Have you been charged with a crime? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced professional who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.

Suspects Arrested for String of Robberies

Authorities have arrested three men who are suspected of committing up to 10 robberies in the bustling Fashion District of Los Angeles, California.

The following three suspects were arrested late October for a string of robberies that took place between May and September 2008:

• Miguel Sanchez, 27
• Gamaliel Hernandez, 22
• Hector Flores, 42

Police were able to identify and, subsequently, arrest the suspects using a witness’ account, which included the suspects’ license plate number, and gas station surveillance footage, which showed the suspects using a victim’s credit card.

Details of the Robberies

According to reports, two of the ten robberies involved businesses while the other eight targeted individuals, mainly smaller Asian women who were alone. All of the robberies occurred during the daytime, ranging from late morning to mid-afternoon.

According to authorities, when this trio of suspects robbed an individual, they came at their victims from behind and threatened violence, in some cases with a gun, if the victim tried to resist.

Charges and Potential Sentences

While each of the arrested suspects have already been arraigned and officially charged, a trial date has yet to be set.

The charges stand as follows:

• Sanchez, whose bail was set at $2.5 million, has been charged with seven counts of robbery and a single count of attempted robbery.
• Flores, whose bail was set at $180,000, faces once count of mayhem and two charges of robbery.
• Hernandez, whose bail was set at $75,000, only faces a single count of robbery.

Each count of first-degree robbery can carry anywhere from a three to six year sentence upon the jury’s return of a guilty plea. Consequently, if Sanchez is convicted of all seven robbery charges (as well of the attempted robbery charge), he will face up to 50 years in a California state prison.

If both Flores and Hernandez are also convicted of all of the charges they face, they will face about 20 years and 6 years, respectively.

(Source: Los Angeles Times)

Have you been charged with a crime?

If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced criminal law attorney who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.

San Jose Teens Arrested in Connection to Recent Crime Spree

The San Jose Police Department has taken five runaway teens into custody in connection with a recent downtown area crime spree. One male and four females are accused of at least five incidents of assaulting, attacking, and robbing money from downtown victims in broad daylight.

Runaway Teens Survive on Robbery Money

The teenagers, three 15 year-olds, one 16 year-old and a 17 year-old, allegedly act as a group to overwhelm their victims and rob them of their money. Authorities say that all of the teenagers are runaways from the East Bay who fled group and family homes. The group would survive with the money they robbed from people, staying in motels at night. The teens have even gone as far as robbing two people in the same day.

According to Police, the first incident in the robbery spree took place on the morning of November 4th when all four girls in the group approached two other women near East William and Seventh streets. The two women were knocked to the ground, battered, and had their wallets taken from them by the four runaway girls. Another incident took place on November 7th, when three of the teenage girls assaulted a woman near Sunol Street and made her go to a nearby ATM, withdraw cash for them, and quickly fled the scene. An hour or so after this incident, the same group of three of the teen girls assaulted another woman and demanded her purse; the woman refused, tried to run away, only to be chased, beaten and robbed by the teenage girls. Police said that this particular attack was quite violent.

Bystanders Help Police Capture Teen Robbers

The group of teens did not attack only women. As a complete group of five, the teens attacked two men, beat them to the ground, and stole their wallets before all fled the scene. The most current incident in this crime spree was one in which three of the females and the sole male robbed another woman for her purse, this time striking her from behind without notice. After this incident, some bystanders called 911 and helped Police find the five teens.

Police Asking Other Victims to Come Forward

Upon investigating the robbery spree, Police believe that the teens were committing crimes in a different manner than the crude “hit and run” manner that they used. Police hypothesize that in some unreported incidents, the teen girls would pose as prostitutes, luring men to them before they beat and robbed them for their money.

At this point, Police are hoping that any victims of these robberies come forward to help them build their case against the runaway teens.