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A 16-year-old boy accused of committing a string of convenience store robberies in Salt Lake County — including one where he shot and wounded a convenience store clerk — resolved the cases Friay by entering guilty pleas in both juvenile and adult courtrooms.
Julian Carmona pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree felony aggravated robbery in juvenile court, and 3rd District Juvenile Court Judge Dane Nolan sentenced him to a secure youth detention facility. If the teen is released before he is 21, the judge ordered supervised parole, including 240 hours of community service. The issue of victim restitution was taken under advisement.
The judge then ordered Carmona to appear in adult court, where he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated robbery and two counts of felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, all first-degree felonies. Two other counts of aggravated robbery were dismissed.
Each of the three counts to which Carmona admitted is punishable by six-years-to-life in prison, but 3rd District Judge Keith Kelly said he would delay sentencing until the teen has completed his time in juvenile detention.
A review hearing in adult court was set for May 11.
The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not identify juveniles charged with crimes until they are certified to stand trial in adult court, as Carmona now has been.
During a Jan. 23 robbery at an Exxon station store at 2187 W. 4700 South, Carmona fired a gun and hit the 21-year-old male clerk twice. One bullet shattered the clerk's left femur, and the other went through his left wrist and into his lower abdomen, according to charges.
The clerk initially was in critical condition, but was upgraded to fair condition the following week, according to police.
After his arrest, Carmona told investigators he fired the weapon because the clerk "thought it was a game and wasn't taking them seriously," charges state.
Carmona allegedly committed the robberies with two 17-year-old boys, who also were charged in juvenile court.
Prior to the Exxon robbery, the trio robbed three other convenience stores over a two-day period, charges state. Each time, at least one of the teens brandished a gun and robbed the store of money and, at one location, flavored cigars, according to charging documents. Those three robberies occurred at a Shell Station at 4018 W. 4100 South, a 7-Eleven store at 5400 W. 4100 South and a Shell Station at 7210 W. 3500 South.
Some of the convenience store clerks reported to police that the trio wore bandanas and gloves, and ordered them to the ground and demanded that they not look up. One reported that he was told if he looked up, the gunman would "smear my brains across the floor," according to charging documents.
Shots were not fired during the first three robberies, according to charging documents.
Unified Police Detective Ken Hansen has said it appears the robberies were "both drug- and gang-involved."
Last week, one of the 17-year-old-boys pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree felony aggravated robbery, and two identical charges were dismissed, a court spokesman said Monday.
Third District Juvenile Court Judge James Michie ordered the teen to remain at a juvenile secure care facility, possibly until he is 21 years old. If the teen is released before he is 21, the judge ordered supervised parole, including 500 hours of community service. The issue of victim restitution was taken under advisement.
The other 17-year-old boy is due in juvenile court again next Friday for a scheduling conference.