Four men who participated in the “pistol-whip” series of robberies on Regents Road near UCSD and elsewhere had their sentencing delayed July 11 until Sept. 19.
The series was noted for four victims being hit over the head with a gun and other victims being ordered at gunpoint to lie on the ground while their personal items such as wallets and cell phones were taken. The men pleaded guilty to all charges of robbery, conspiracy and receiving stolen property in nine incidents in which 14 people were accosted. Not every defendant participated in each hold-up. One or two robbers approached victims in a series or robberies that began March 30, 2013 and ended with the arrests on April 12, 2013. Michael McGinnis, 19, Joseph Ragland, 27, Jamarious Porche, 24, and Askia Muhamad Toure, 21, face prison terms ranging from 18 months to 15 years. They all remain in jail on $500,000 bail.
One victim from City Heights appeared in court July 11, and San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeff Fraser offered him a chance to read a statement, but he said he would do it when they are sentenced on Sept. 19. A man and a woman were held up at 7600 Regents Road on April 9, 2013 and were robbed of a backpack, a cellphone and other items. Other victims were robbed near San Diego State University, Rolando, University Heights and Mission Village. One victim lost a computer and another an iPod, but most of the property was recovered by San Diego police along with the victims’ identification.