FAYETTEVILLE — A Springdale man was convicted Tuesday of being an accomplice to aggravated robbery and theft of property for his role last summer in the machete robbery of a Fayetteville taxi driver.
Alberto Delatorre Jr., 18, of 115 Sunnydale Drive was one of three men charged with aggravated robbery and theft of property in the case. Delatorre was sentenced to 10 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction on the robbery charge, the minimum possible, and fined $250 on the theft charge.
LEGAL LINGO
Aggravated Robbery
The taking of money or goods in the possession of another, from his or her person or immediate presence, by force or intimidation.
Source: The Free Legal Dictionary
Washington County Circuit Judge William Storey sentenced Delatorre immediately.
"Mr. Delatorre Jr., you've done a terrible job of choosing people to associate with," Storey said. "You, if you choose to, can make something good come of this, you're still young."
Terra Stephenson, deputy prosecutor, said she thought the jury's verdicts were fair, given the facts of the case.
"I think the jury took into account his age and his level of responsibility, compared to the other defendants," Stephenson said.
The jury took about an hour and a half to convict Delatorre, who faced 10 to 40 years or life in prison.
Delatorre's attorney, Erwin Davis, told jurors his client was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"All he did was stand there. He didn't move, he didn't say anything, he didn't do anything," Davis said. "It didn't matter if there was a crime, he just stood there."
Stephenson said the taxi driver was the person in the wrong place at the wrong time and Delatorre's denial of any knowledge there was going to be a robbery rang hollow.
"Why was he there? Because he was part of the plan," Stephenson told jurors. "He knows what's about to happen and he did nothing to separate himself from what was going on."
Marco Alverez-Guzman, 18, a co-defendant, said Delatorre knew a robbery was going to happen, went along anyway and got money from the heist. Police said Delatorre confessed.
Fayetteville officers investigated the robbery at 2:52 a.m. July 19 in the area of Betty Jo and Wedington drives.
Dominic Greetan, a driver for NWA Taxi, just dropped a customer off at a home on Betty Jo Drive and pulled over to do paperwork and smoke when three men approached him. Two asked for a cigarette while one slipped up behind, held a machete to his throat and threatened to kill him if he didn't give them money.
Greetan said he gave the men his money bag, which had about $190 in it. They also took his cellphone, wallet and cigarettes.
Delatorre and Guzman were identified as the men who distracted Greetan while Javaughntaiye Willis, 21, brandished the machete, according to police and witnesses.
According to testimony, detectives found the money and the machete along with the taxi driver's wallet, cellphone and a receipt with his name on it in a nearby duplex, along with the Delatorre, Guzman and Willis.
Guzman, 18, pleaded guilty to robbery in Washington County Circuit Court last year. Guzman was charged as an adult and sentenced to 20 years with three years suspended. He was given credit for 126 days jail time served.
Willis is awaiting trial on felony aggravated robbery and terroristic threatening charges related to the taxi robbery.
Willis also is charged, along with and J'Donta Britt, 18, with accomplice to rape, related to the assault of a detainee at the Washington County jail.
NW News on 03/19/2014