Huntington Beach police have arrested four men in their 20s, who have been accused of committing theft crimes in Orange County by robbing two residents at their home. A fourth man, a 50-year-old, has also been charged in connection with three armed home invasion robberies in Los Angeles County, The Orange County Register reports in an article. Those arrested were – Richard Martinez, 27, Jesse Paul Rubio, 28, Brian Dean Nightingale, 29, and Anthony Michael Vega, 50. Martinez and Rubio are accused of committing a similar home invasion robbery in Newport Beach in December.
Officials also believe these men may be behind several other robberies and residential burglaries in Los Angeles in addition to Orange and San Bernardino counties. Authorities say they have recovered stolen property and large cache of firearms, some of which were reported stolen in the burglaries. The four men face 34 felony charges.
Burglary and theft are property crimes in California. However, robbery falls under the category of “violent crime” because it usually involves threat and intimidation, usually with a weapon. Robbery is a far more serious crime than burglary with severe consequences. If convicted, a defendant can be looking at a lengthy prison sentence, sometimes a life sentence depending on the number of counts alleged.
If you have been accused of robbery, you need a skilled and experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney who will independently and thoroughly investigate the case and determine the facts. The evidence in such cases is very significant. Our knowledgeable criminal defense lawyers at Sitkoff & Hanrahan will carefully examine the evidence and build a strong defense that will get a violent crime defendant acquitted or their charges reduced. Please call us today at 866-299-4111for a free consultation and case evaluation.