Tourist robber Vincent Cepeda convicted

Vincent Rodriguez Cepeda was convicted for committing an armed robbery against a tourist earlier this year.

He was convicted of Second-Degree Robbery as a Second-Degree Felony with a Special Allegation of Possession or Use of a Deadly Weapon in the Commission of a Felony, and Theft as a Misdemeanor.

Several good Samaritans testified at trial and identified Cepeda. The witnesses testified that they observed him holding a woman’s bag and that he had a machete as he attempted to flee the scene. Some witnesses followed Cepeda until GPD officers arrived.

Cepeda faces 10 to 36 years of imprisonment at the Department of Corrections and will be sentenced on August 27, 2019.

“I want to thank the men and women of the jury for their attention to the evidence that was presented. The verdict today shows that regardless of what a victim’s skin color is, regardless of what country someone might be from, everyone is treated equally under the law. The good Samaritans that testified in this case and assisted in the defendant’s apprehension did our community proud” said Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Phelps.

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