Politics & Government
Man Accused Of Following Victims Home, Robbing Them: Verdict
Prosecutors said the accused man wore a mask and followed people who'd been shopping, then robbed them at gunpoint.
WALNUT CREEK, CA — A Contra Costa County jury found a 27-year-old Oakland man guilty of four counts of armed robbery for high-value watches and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office charged Shane Ivan Downs with seven felonies related to a series of armed robberies that took place in 2020 and 2021. It is alleged that in each incident, Downs followed his victims from a public place to their homes, where he robbed them at gunpoint.
The stolen items were high-end watches ranging in value from $3,500-$15,000.
To conceal his identity, Downs would mask his face and head.
On April 18, 2021, Downs followed a victim from Walnut Creek to her home in Oakley, where he brandished a handgun and stole her Rolex watch. Later that day, he followed another victim from Walnut Creek to Concord, where he pointed a gun at the victim’s head, struck them, and robbed them of a Panerai Luminor watch.
Six days later, on May 24, 2021, Downs followed a third victim from Danville to Walnut Creek and robbed the victim at gunpoint of their Rolex watch.
A few days later, on May 30, 2021, Downs followed yet another victim from the Walnut Creek shopping area to the male victim's home. Downs again used a firearm to steal a Tag Heuer watch.
The case against Downs was built through vehicle information, search warrants, cell phone records and surveillance.
"We are pleased the evidence presented resulted in the Defendant being held accountable for these dangerous robberies," said Deputy District Attorney Kevin Cunnane, the lead prosecutor in the case.
A fifth case prosecutors sought to convict Downs of took place in July 2020 in Orinda. Despite a similar mode of operation — MO — jurors did not find sufficient evidence to find Downs guilty of the crime.
Downs is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 15 in Martinez and faces potentially significant state prison time for his offenses, the DA's Office said.
Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Charles Burch will determine Downs’s sentence for his criminal conviction.
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