A judge sentenced a South Bay man Jan. 15 to 304 years to life in prison for robbing 10 businesses including three in Chula Vista and one in Nestor.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Sharon Majors-Lewis said she had thought a lot about imposing such a long term to Shalako Blackfoot, 52, who is also known as David Peters. She acknowledged the term is a life sentence.
Majors-Lewis said Blackfoot met the criteria for which the three strikes law was made because he had previous convictions for three robberies, false imprisonment, four burglaries, and other crimes.
Blackfoot’s attorney, Saba Shabani, said 304 years was “an outrageous amount of time.” Shabani urged a sentence of 24 years and four months in prison, which would be “a long time for him.”
“He was desperate for money. There was no physical harm afflicted to the victims,” said Shabani, adding that no one was shot, stabbed or even traumatized.
Blackfoot’s wife, Sylvia Huggins, appeared in court in a wheelchair. She said she had survived six strokes. “My husband is a good man. I need him home to take care of me,” said Huggins.
Majors-Lewis ordered Blackfoot to pay $2,502 in restitution to six businesses which supplied loss documents to her plus a fine of $10,893. Blackfoot received 793 days of jail credits.
Deputy District Attorney Jim Koerber said nine of the 10 victims were women and they were frightened during the robberies. While these victims were not injured, the victims of his other crimes were, Koerber said.
One woman was grabbed by the throat in a 1997 robbery and a man was hit over the head with a lamp. “It shows he is a dangerous individual,” said Koerber, who added that his first conviction was as a juvenile when he threatened a police officer. He also threatened a guard while in prison, said Koerber.
Majors-Lewis ordered 10 consecutive terms of 25 years to life plus five extra years on each count for prior convictions.
She imposed four years for auto theft from an Emerald Hills woman who lost her Chrysler.
The Chula Vista businesses which were robbed include Sunny Donuts, at 610 Broadway which lost $120 on Jan. 27, 2014; a 7-Eleven at 899 Broadway, which lost $217 on Jan. 23, 2014; and Circle K, on Broadway, which lost $200 on Feb. 22, 2014.
Hollister Gas, at 1102 Hollister in Nestor, was held up on Feb. 24, 2014, and a Subway sandwich shop, at 610 Dennery Road, below Chula Vista, was robbed on Feb. 17, 2014. Three other Subway shops in downtown San Diego were held up including one victim who was robbed twice.
A service station in Hillcrest was also held up. A jury convicted Blackfoot of 10 robberies, and auto theft on Nov. 13, 2015. The jury acquitted Blackfoot of robbing a Motel 6 in San Ysidro after 2 ½ days of deliberations.
