The only adult defendant among four teen-agers accused of robbing people in the South Bay and elsewhere had bail set at $1 million.
Ernesto Lamarguez, 18, has pleaded not guilty to committing nine robberies of people in April while three other teen-agers are believed to have been charged in Juvenile Court.
The cases of juveniles who are aged 15, 16, and 17 are not public record. They were all arrested April 24 by San Diego Police.
The first robbery occurred April 17 in La Mesa where someone with an Apple I-phone valued at $1,000 had it taken from him. A man in Chula Vista was held up on April 20.
Someone else lost his wallet to the robbers on April 22 in National City, according to court records. Others lost their wallets, cell phones, and backpacks in hold-ups in North Park and City Heights. One man had his groceries stolen.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Joseph Brannigan granted a motion by Deputy District Attorney Jim Koerber to examine the sources of any money used for bail for Lamarquez. Koerber’s motion specified the source of bail money be examined by a judge before it could be used for bail to make sure it didn’t come from criminal actions.
Brannigan set a preliminary hearing for June 11. That hearing is estimated to last a full day when all or most of the robbery victims will testify. Lamarquez remains in jail and the minors are believed to be in Juvenile Hall.
