On February 7, a 79-year-old woman was taken as a hostage after two men and a female burst into her home; the suspects were armed with a gun at the time. As a result of the robbery, Taft Elementary School which is located nearby was locked down as a safety precaution. Now, Redwood City Police have identified additional suspects in the armed robbery.
The woman was locked in a bedroom as the suspects ransacked her home; from there, she was able to notify police, who captured one of the three suspects. According to news reports at the Redwood City-Woodside Patch, the two men involved were Hispanic, the female a Hispanic juvenile. The female suspect allegedly stood on lookout as the others ransacked the home.
The suspect arrested by police was 21-year-old Jovanni Martinez Aguilar of Redwood City. Since the time of the incident, police investigations have led to the identity of the other male involved in the armed robbery. News reports indicate that the man who escaped capture during the incident is 21-year-old Luis Martinez Trujillo, who is also a resident of Redwood City. Police did not release a photo and name of the girl because she is a juvenile. Investigators claim they are “hot on the tails” of the two suspects.
A statement issued by the Redwood City Police Department indicated that arrest warrants have been issued for the two, and that police believe the suspects are aware they are being sought by police and therefore attempting to avoid being located and arrested. Additionally, investigators have discovered that a black Volkswagen Jetta was used in the robbery; the vehicle’s license number is 5TGT848, a California tag.
Redwood City armed robbery lawyers know that this is an offense considered one of the most serious in the state of California. Considered a felony offense, a conviction for armed robbery will leave an individual facing a substantial number of years in prison. If convicted on a charge of first-degree armed robbery, the defendant may face six to nine years in prison; in addition, robbery is considered a strike offense which means in the event you are convicted of a felony crime in the future, you may face enhanced sentencing or harsher penalties.
If you have been arrested for armed robbery or have already been charged, do not face the criminal justice system without the support and guidance of an experienced Redwood City criminal defense attorney.