A 45-year-old man who led a bank robbery crew responsible for stealing nearly $400,000 across four separate hold-ups in San Diego County has been sentenced to an astonishing 488 years and eight months to life in state prison.
Larry Lightning Jr. was convicted after taking part in armed robberies at banks located in Escondido, Scripps Ranch, Kearny Mesa, and Carlsbad between the years 2019 and 2022.
During the robberies, Lightning and his crew were reported to have displayed firearms and assaulted bank employees, intensifying the fear and chaos during their crimes.
According to prosecutors, Lightning was involved in physically assaulting the bank staff. He reportedly grabbed victims by their hair, pushed them into vaults at gunpoint, and yelled at them to act faster while threatening to kill them if they did not comply.
“The defendant grabbed bank employees by their hair and pulled, pushed, and shoved them into the vault at gunpoint,” stated the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office in a press release.
The robbers specifically targeted banks near freeways to facilitate quick escapes and frequently utilized stolen vehicles as getaway cars.
Investigators were able to link Lightning to the robbery crew through DNA evidence found on the driver’s seat of one of the stolen vehicles, leading to his arrest in 2023.
A San Diego jury ultimately found Lightning guilty on multiple felony counts, which included 10 counts of kidnapping, 12 counts of assault with a firearm, four counts of robbery, auto theft, and additional kidnapping charges.
Due to prior convictions that triggered California’s Three Strikes Law, Lightning faced multiple consecutive sentences of 25 years to life, culminating in the lengthy prison term.
During the sentencing hearing, Lightning’s Deputy Public Defender, Jimmy Rodriguez, contended that the evidence against Lightning was largely circumstantial, asserting that there was “no direct evidence linking Mr. Lightning to this case.”
Rodriguez indicated plans to appeal the conviction.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon acknowledged the case’s circumstantial nature but remarked that it was “one of the strongest this court has ever seen.”
Judge Shamoon admonished Lightning for the terror inflicted upon bank employees, pointing out that he not only robbed them but also intentionally humiliated them.
“It wasn’t enough for you to rob these victims. You had to humiliate them,” Judge Shamoon expressed.
Before passing the sentence, she listened to statements from bank employees who described lingering fear and paranoia since returning to work after the robberies.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan emphasized the severity of Lightning’s actions, describing him as the orchestrator of a crime spree that endangered the lives of both bank workers and community members.
“Thanks to the dedicated work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, he has been held accountable for his crimes and the fear and harm he caused,” Stephan stated after the sentencing.
Although Lightning proved elusive for years, law enforcement remained tenacious in their efforts to resolve this series of crimes.
Additionally, Lightning is facing an ongoing case related to an alleged escape attempt from custody while awaiting his sentencing connected to the bank robberies.
Though some of Lightning’s accomplices remain unidentified, one named associate, Gregory Moore, was fatally shot in 2023 in an incident that authorities believe is unrelated to the robberies.
image source from：nbcsandiego
