A judge June 3 ordered a robber suspected of being the “Peep Bandit” to stand trial for five robberies of adult bookstores and three other hold-ups. Four detectives who interviewed the employees of Mercury Books, Adult Emporium, 7-Eleven and two Subway sandwich shops were the witnesses in the preliminary hearing of Oscar Augustin Smith Jr.,…
SAN DIEGO — Two robbery suspects accused of 11 hold-ups in Hillcrest, Golden Hill, Mission Beach, and elsewhere all on the same night have been ordered to stand trial. Additional charges may be added after all the victims testified April 8 in the preliminary hearing of Joseph Andres Garcia, 19, and Benjamin Hernandez, 23, in…
The alleged getaway driver in 11 robberies and attempted robberies in Hillcrest and elsewhere will face a Feb. 20 preliminary hearing. The crimes all occurred Feb. 2 to pedestrians in Hillcrest, Ocean Beach, Golden Hill, Mission Beach, UCSD, and the Midtown area. Benjamin Hernandez, 23, pleaded not guilty Feb. 5 before San Diego Superior Court…
In Danny Boyle’s latest thriller, James McAvoy plays Simon, an art auctioneer who helps a group of thugs steal a $25 million Goya painting in a daring heist. Unfortunately, the crew’s leader Frank (Vincent Cassel) knocks Simon unconscious during the robbery and when Simon wakes up, he has forgotten that he stole the painting from…
KENT, Wash. (KCPQ – CNN) — Police arrested a man accused of using an online dating site to help him and choose his robbery victims. According to the Kent Police Department, a Kent man used a cellphone dating app frequented by members of the GLTB community that allows its subscribers to locate others via a…
(CNN) — Footage of the beating of a New Jersey teen, who was apparently forced to strip naked before a belt-whipping over a $20 debt, has since garnered the attention of Newark city officials after the online video went viral. “Take everything off right now. You’re moving too slow,” a person yelled during shaky cell…
A judge Jan. 25 handed down a staggering prison sentence of 144 years to life for the “Incense Bandit” who was convicted of robbing businesses in Hillcrest, with the judge noting his “extensive criminal history” as the reason for the long term. Because Charles Edward Shipman, 49, had previously been convicted of six felonies, he…
Three firefighters who are charged with robbery, dissuading a witness and making a criminal threat to two brothers were in court Tuesday and will stand trial Feb. 21, 2013. San Diego Superior Court Judge Charles Rogers was assigned the case for trial Tuesday for Andrew Brennen, 30, Gregory Econie, 27 and Vadid Cisneros, 37, who…
After more than six hours of deliberations, a jury convicted the “Incense Bandit” of three robberies and one attempted robbery Nov. 9, but they ironically deadlocked 7-5 for acquittal in the hold-up of the candle store where the robber got his nickname. Jurors told San Diego Superior Court Judge Amalia Meza they were hopelessly deadlocked…
Opening statements were given Nov. 2 in the trial of Charles Edward Shipman, 49, who is accused of committing six robberies and one attempted hold-up, the latter of which led to his arrest Feb. 13. The nickname came after the robber pretended he wanted to buy some incense at $8.95 per box, and told…
