Nine Men Sentenced For Series of Armed Robberies

Nine Newark residents have been sentenced for charges they faced related to a series of armed robberies throughout southern Alameda County and Milpitas, police said.

Eight of the men arrested pleaded no contest to charges they faced, according to Fremont police.

Police said the men were involved in 15 separate robberies of 7 Eleven stores, Wing Stop restaurants and gas stations in the cities of Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, San Leandro and Milpitas between July 12, 2011 and August 22, 2011.

The group of men are also said to be responsible for a home burglary in Newark and an armed robbery of a victim near a Bank of America in Fremont, police said.

The men were identified as:

• Keirsten Brown, 18, of Newark
• Vincent Castillo, 22, of Newark
• Andrew Heilman, 18, of Newark
• Omare Murphy, 18, of Newark
• Roger Perez, 18, of Newark
• Christopher Phillips, 20, of Newark
• Antonio Reza, 19, of Newark
• Walter Simmons, 19, of Newark
• Orlando Zendejas, 18, of Newark

Police said all nine suspects were charged in connection to the series of robberies in September 2011 and that every suspect except Simmons pleaded no contest before the start of their trial.

Heilman, Perez, Murphy and Zendejas received sentences ranging from three to 14 years in state prison, and Fremont police said the four men were also facing robbery charges in connection to an incident in Milpitas.

Authorities said Brown, Castillo, Phillips and Reza are serving out their sentences in county jail.

Simmons pleaded not guilty but during a trial held in October 2012, Simmons was found guilty of "robbery, attempted robbery, accessory to robbery with a use of firearm enhancement," Fremont police said. Simmons was sentenced Monday to 10 years in state prison, police said.

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