SAN DIEGO — Two teenagers who held up nine pedestrians at gunpoint in Hillcrest, North Park, and La Jolla were sentenced Dec. 10 to 21 and 13 years in prison respectively, but two robbery victims told the judge the sentences were too harsh.
Victor Ledesma, 19, received 21 years and four months and Jonah Michael Ledesma, 18, got 13 years from San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh.
The comments by Dr. William Brandler, who is a post-doctoral fellow and an autism researcher at UCSD, and William Blumenfeld, a student, surprised Walsh because he said most victims want greater sentences, not lesser sentences.
Both Victor and Jonah Ledesma, who are not related, must serve 85 percent of their sentences said Deputy District Attorney Jim Koerber. Two 15-year-old boys were prosecuted in Juvenile Court and their cases are not public record.
Both Brandler and Blumenfeld said their lives were not significantly altered by being robbed Jan. 23. “They’re kids,” said Blumenfeld.
“You are in a unique category. You’re forgiving,” said the judge to the two victims. “It’s only by pure luck that nobody was injured … or killed when they’re putting guns into people’s faces.”
Walsh could have sentenced Victor Ledesma to 42 years and Jonah Ledesma to 24 years. They both received extra years for personal use of a gun during the robberies.
They both pleaded guilty to eight robberies, one attempted robbery, auto theft, evading officers with reckless driving and conspiracy to commit robbery which started late Jan. 22 and went into the early morning hours of Jan. 23.
Both men were fined $11,033 and given credit for serving 370 days in jail. A restitution hearing to see if they should pay the victims back will be held later.
Victor Ledesma’s sentence was longer because he has Juvenile Court convictions for robbery, attempted robbery, residential burglary, grand theft, and auto theft, said Koerber.
The spree started in Hillcrest at First and Pennsylvania Avenues when a man was robbed at gunpoint and knifepoint. Victor and Jonah Ledesma later robbed people on La Jolla Boulevard near Nautilus and Neptune Place in La Jolla, according to court records.
The bandits also robbed people near the Ingraham Street bridge. Police officers chased them in Mission Beach to the Point Loma area where they and two minors were arrested. Jonah Ledesma was 17 when the robberies occurred, but has since turned 18. He was ordered to stand trial as an adult.
