Victim Arranged a Meeting on Craigslist
SANTA CRUZ—Santa Cruz County Deputies arrested 21-year-old Vincent Turner from Salinas after he robbed a man for marijuana in the parking lot of Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz.
On December 9, at 10:30 pm., Deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a robbery with a firearm that occurred in the parking lot of The Dominican Hospital. The robbery occurred after the victim and the suspect agreed to meet on Craigslist for the purchase of “medical” marijuana. The two were to meet that night in the parking lot and the victim was going to provide the marijuana for an unspecified amount of money. The suspect instead held him up at gunpoint to steal the merchandise.
After further investigation, deputies identified the suspect as Vincent Leonard Turner. Turner was suspected of a similar robbery that occurred in Elk Grove, California on December 11.
Turner met his victim at Dominican Hospital.
On January 15, at 1:45 pm., Authorities from the Monterey Police Department along with PRVNT Officer and Members of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department arrested Turner at his home in rural Salinas. He was arrested on warrants from both Santa Cruz County and Elk Grove.
“We believe that there are more victims in this case, we just need them to come forward.” Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Kennedy said, “He would go online looking for people that would sell their medical marijuana and then rob them.”
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department transported Turner to their Jail in Santa Cruz and charged him with the felony of robbery. His bail has been set at $25,000.00 dollars
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating this incident and it is the first of its kind in reported in the county. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff Department is asking if anyone has information regarding similar robberies resulting from Craigslist or any other online site to please call the Sheriff’s Office at 1-831-471-1121.
UPDATE – 3/12/2015 – Jeffrey Rosell, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney, announced today that Vincent Turner, Jr. was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the commission of two armed robberies in December 2013. In addition to the incidents above, Turner was implicated in a December 27 Craigslist meeting, during which he shot a male victim in the arm and torso, causing significant internal damage.
On January 29, 2015, Turner agreed to a plea of guilty on one count of attempted murder, one count of robbery, and enhancements for using a firearm to inflict great bodily injury. He was sentenced by Judge John Salazar on March 5 to 23 years prison. He faces additional time for the robbery in Elk Grove, in Sacramento County. Santa Cruz Assistant District Attorney Sara Dabkowski said, “The defendant’s lengthy prison sentence will ensure that the members of our community are safe and that his escalation of violence will not continue.”
Read More:
Santa Cruz Sentinel: Man arrested in medical marijuana robbery in Santa Cruz
