North Shore Men Plead Guilty to Armed Carjacking, Sentenced to Over 8 Years
Two North Shore men who stole a vehicle at gunpoint before leading authorities on a high-speed chase pleaded guilty to several felony charges today and were immediately sentenced to more than eight years in state prison.
Victor Olivas, 27, and Francisco Razo, 25, were arrested last August following the carjacking reported in the area of Avenue 78 and Fillmore Street. Both men pleaded guilty to one count each of carjacking and evading arrest in exchange for prosecutors agreeing to dismiss one felony count each of taking a vehicle without an owner's consent and receiving stolen property, along with several sentence-enhancing allegations.
Olivas pleaded guilty to one count each of carjacking and evading arrest in exchange for prosecutors dismissing one felony count each of taking a vehicle without an owner's consent and receiving stolen property, along with several sentence-enhancing allegations.
The defendants also pleaded guilty in other cases as well in which they were both co-defendants, including a burglary case from June 2020.
They were collectively sentenced to eight years, four months each
Olivas and Razo were scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Tuesday in which prosecutors present evidence that a judge uses to decide whether a trial is warranted.
According to Sgt. Steve Davis of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the carjacking was reported at about 10:40 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2020.
Deputies spotted a car matching the description of the one stolen about five miles away from the location later that evening, and tried to make a traffic stop.
The driver -- who was not identified -- sped off and led deputies on a nearly seven-mile chase to the area of Polk Street and Avenue 78, where the two suspects ditched the car and tried to escape on foot but were arrested nearby, Davis said.
According to court records, both defendants were out on bail in a separate felony case at the time of their most recent arrests. Neither defendant has any prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
