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Case #3713 Rating: 3.6 out of 5
10 Yorkshire Terriers stolen at gunpoint
Fontana, CA (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Dec 26, 2004
County: San Bernardino
Disposition: Convicted
Defendants/Suspects:
» Victorino Flores
» Isabel Suarez
» Jose Novoa
» Santiago Nunez
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
A frightened and trembling 80-year-old woman described for a judge Wednesday how a gang of robbers came into her home, ordered her to the floor at gunpoint and stole 10 of her prized Yorkshire terriers.
Eileen Sparks, testifying in the preliminary hearing of the suspected dognappers, said she was forced to watch helplessly as the bandits scooped up eight of her purebred puppies and two of her "mama dogs."
"They stuck a gun right in my face," Sparks said.
After testimony from the woman and sheriff's investigators, Judge Keith Davis ruled that Victorino Flores, Isabel Suarez, Jose Novoa and Santiago Nunez must stand trial on charges they robbed the woman.
All four are accused of robbery, burglary, grand theft, theft from an elder, false imprisonment, conspiracy and animal cruelty.
Police recovered nine of the dogs and returned them to the woman about four days after the theft. One died in captivity. The dogs are valued at $2,000 to $5,000 each.
Prosecutors say Flores, 24, and Suarez, 23, went to the woman's home Dec. 26 claiming they were interested in buying puppies.
While inside, Novoa, 22, and Nunez, 17, entered with a gun.
San Bernardino County sheriff's investigators testified Wednesday that all four suspects confessed to the thefts after their arrests.
Sparks strained in court Wednesday to identify the men who robbed her. Of those she could identify, she struggled to describe their individual roles in the heist.
"I remember their faces, but to say which one did what is a little harder to say," she testified.
Sparks told the judge she was scared to testify. He allowed the woman's grandson to sit beside her while lawyers peppered her with questions.
All four suspects will return to Fontana Superior Court on Wednesday to be arraigned.
Case UpdatesA man was sentenced to more than 22 years in state prison on December 16, 2005 for taking 10 Yorkshire terriers from an elderly woman during a home-invasion robbery. Victorino Flores orchestrated the Dec. 26, 2004, dognapping, prosecutors said.
The judge said that Flores' role as the ringleader coupled with the sophistication of the caper justified the hefty prison term. "Mr. Flores has shown no remorse whatsoever for any of his conduct," Fontana Superior Court Judge Keith Davis said. Investigators said Flores, 25, and another man went to the woman's home under the pretext of buying a puppy. The 81-year-old victim, a dog breeder, had advertised the animals for sale in newspaper classified ads. Once Flores and the other man were inside, two more robbers entered the home with a gun, investigators said. The robbers stuck the gun in the woman's face, forced her to the floor and ordered her to keep still while they robbed her.
They made off with eight purebred puppies and two "mama dogs." The dogs are valued at $2,000 to $5,000 each. One of the puppies died before police solved the crime. Another was returned to the woman in ill health. "They were nice and fat," Deputy District Attorney Tristan Svare said. "They were healthy dogs before the defendant got involved."
A jury convicted Flores in July 2005 of 18 felony counts, including robbery, burglary, grand theft, false imprisonment, conspiracy, elder abuse and animal cruelty.
Flores' attorney, Frank Scott, asked the judge to sentence Flores to no more than 9 years in prison, the same as the sentence previously given to the other three defendants. But Davis refused.
He said the other defendants received lighter sentences because, unlike Flores, they agreed to plea deals with prosecutors before a trial. Scott also asked the judge to grant a new trial on three of the counts, claiming errors by the prosecutor, judge and jury. Davis also refused that.
The judge ordered Flores to repay the victim $3,000 for the puppy that died. Flores must serve more than 18 years before he is eligible for parole. | Source: SB Sun News - December 17, 2005
Update posted on Dec 17, 2005 - 6:28PM |
Victorino Flores was convicted Thursday of robbing an 80-year-old woman of her 10 Yorkshire terriers. Flores, whom authorities say orchestrated the Dec.26 home-invasion dognapping, faces up to 20 years in prison.
Jurors deliberated about an hour Thursday before convicting Flores of 18 felonies in Fontana Superior Court.
Among the charges are 10 counts of grand theft of a dog, two counts of animal cruelty, false imprisonment of an elder, conspiracy, robbery and burglary.
The victim, a dog breeder, had advertised her puppies for sale in newspaper classified ads.
Investigators said Flores and another man, Isabel Suarez, entered the woman's home under the pretext of buying one of the animals.
While they were inside, two other men, Jose Novoa and Santiago Nunez, entered the house with a gun.
The woman said in an earlier interview that the robbers stuck the gun in her face, forced her to the floor and told her to keep still while they stole eight purebred puppies and two "mama" dogs.
Police recovered nine of the dogs and returned them to the woman about four days after the theft. One died in captivity. The dogs are valued at $2,000 to $5,000 each.
Deputy District Attorney Tristan Svare said evidence in the trial proved Flores hired the others to help rob the woman. He also provided the gun.
Flores, 24 at the time of the crime, was the only one of the four to take the case to trial.
The others pleaded guilty just before trial began to charges including robbery, theft from an elder and animal cruelty, and agreed to testify against Flores.
They face sentences of about nine years in prison, depending upon how truthfully they testified, Svare said.
Flores is to be sentenced next month by Judge Keith Davis.
Svare said the victim remains shaken by the robbery. | Source: Daily Bulletin - July 28, 2005
Update posted on Jul 29, 2005 - 1:32PM |
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