A 19-year-old man who participated in robberies in Chula Vista, National City, and elsewhere was released from jail Monday night after being sentenced to time already served.
Ernesto Lamarquez, of Spring Valley, was the only adult–by three months–out of four teen-age robbers who targeted people in a 7-day spree in April, 2019.
“Mr. Lamarquez was not the one who was violent,” said Deputy District Attorney James Koerber, who added it was the other minors who were violent towards the victims.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh imposed a 365-day jail term, but gave him credit for serving 433 days since his April 24, 2019 arrest.
“You’re getting a huge, huge, huge break, but this is also an opportunity…(for) a new start,” said Deddeh.
Lamarquez appeared on a video feed from a room at the George Bailey Detention Facility. He was released from jail about six hours later.
Lamarquez’s attorney, Pedro Bernal Bilse, recommended probation. Bernal and Koerber also appeared on video screens because the court is mostly closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Audio of the sentencing was live streamed on the Superior Court’s website.
Deddeh told Lamarquez this was the first case that he has heard in which Koerber was not seeking prison.
Koerber said one minor from the group is in custody in Juvenile Hall and another prosecutor is seeking to have him stand trial as an adult.
Deddeh placed Lamarquez on five years probation and ordered him not to associate with the other teen-agers in the robberies. They were 15, 16, and 17 at the time.
He also ordered Lamarquez to pay $736 to two victims whose money or property was not recovered.
Because Lamarquez has served more time than one year in jail, Deddeh ruled he didn’t have to pay any court fines or probation costs. A review of his sentence was set for Nov. 30.
