A robber known as the “Peep Bandit” who held up adult bookstores and other businesses pleaded guilty Aug. 12 to all charges.
Oscar Augustin Smith, Jr., 29, faces a maximum term of 15 years and four months in state prison, said Deputy District Attorney Roy Lai.
Sentencing is set for Oct. 16 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh. Lai said probation has been ruled out and added there are no deals with his office regarding the sentence.
A San Diego Police detective testified June 3 at the preliminary hearing the “Peep Bandit” robbed the same victim 3 times at Mercury Books at the location of 8081 Balboa Ave on April 7, April 26, and May 6.
“I don’t know why he keeps picking me (to rob),” the clerk was quoted as telling the detective.
Also robbed was the Adult Emporium, two Subway sandwich shops and a 7-Eleven. Detective Wayne Glazewski said he gave the robbery series its nickname. The robber wore the same outfit each time while wearing a black hooded jacket with black latex gloves and a bandanna across his face.
The robber always brought along a supermarket plastic bag and clerks were ordered to drop the money inside. Everyone believed the gun he displayed was real, but police only recovered a pellet gun.
A witness saw the license plate of a black Yukon driven by the bandit and it was registered to an El Cajon woman who knew Smith but didn’t know he used it for robberies. Smith was arrested May 11 and remains in jail on $150,000 bail.
