A California man decided the best way to shop for knives, Legos, and a PlayStation controller was to threaten store employees at gunpoint.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department identified the man behind the incident as 20-year-old Francisco Xanthus Rivera of Nipomo. He was arrested on Oct. 9 after police said Rivera robbed Dick’s Sporting Goods and a Target in San Luis Obispo.
Rivera apparently needed two knives, several LEGO sets, and a PlayStation controller, according to the police department. Police responded to calls from employees around 7:15 p.m. They reported that a man wearing a black hoodie and beanie displayed a black semiautomatic firearm before stealing two knives and fleeing in a dark-colored sedan.
The same suspect, Rivera, then allegedly showed up at a Target shortly afterward. Employees at the Target contacted law enforcement and told them he displayed the weapon again before taking several Lego sets and a PlayStation controller.
The Robbery Spree Ends
The police department said they found Rivera with the vehicle he was using at a Vons parking lot on Broad Street, along with the stolen merchandise.
Police identified Rivera and promptly detained him, but an unexpected turn occurred. The guns he used weren’t actually real firearms.
According to the police department, both firearms recovered from the vehicle were replicas. Rivera was then arrested and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on two counts of felony robbery, police said.
The Charges
Rivera’s booking information shows he was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on Oct. 10 at 12:32 a.m. The police say he faces two counts of felony robbery under Penal Code 211.
California law says that if the charges are second-degree felonies, they can carry a potential prison sentence of 2, 3, or 5 years. First-degree robbery carries a longer sentence, but the police release and booking information only identifies the charges as felony robbery under Penal Code 211, not specifying the degree.
The fact that the recovered weapons were replicas does not automatically mean the alleged conduct cannot qualify as robbery. The circumstances, including whether employees were put in fear, would matter when evaluating the charges.
Booking information shows Rivera is facing a pretty hefty bond. His bond is currently set at a whopping $200,000. There was no information regarding a set court date for Rivera or whether any other potential charges are pending.
As always, Rivera is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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