A man who took part in the armed holdup of a North Park marijuana dispensary in which an alleged accomplice was shot and killed by a security guard was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in state prison.
Jonathan Vincent Collins, 22, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a robbery charge with a gang allegation. He was sentenced by Judge Peter Deddeh.
Two other reputed gang members, 18-year-old Kurese Bell and 22-year-old Atiim Smith, are scheduled for trial on July 14.
Bell is charged with murder, attempted murder and robbery in the holdup and fatal shooting that occurred about 12:30 p.m. on April 25, 2014, in the 3800 block of Ray Street.
Smith — the alleged getaway driver — is charged with attempted murder and felony robbery. His fingerprints were found in a car impounded by police after the robbery, according to a latent print examiner.
Bell — who was 17 at the time — also is charged in the robbery of a smoke shop on El Cajon Boulevard four days before the dispensary robbery. He was arrested last May at a Los Angeles-area motel and charged as an adult.
Detective Jana Beard testified at a preliminary hearing in January that security guard Henry Smith told her he shot the alleged robber in the dispensary holdup, identified as 18-year-old Marlon Thomas, after Thomas and another robber threatened to kill him and the store owner.
Smith was shot in the pelvis and survived.
— City News Service
