Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman retained the $100,000 cash bail he earlier ordered for the 26-year-old Fitial who appeared in the custody of the Department of Corrections during his initial court appearance yesterday.
Fitial is being held on the charges of robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, and disturbing the peace.
Fitial was identified by his co-defendant, Alsten Santos, 20, according to Detective Melissa Bauleong.
The two robbed Green Island Market in San Vicente, stealing about $450 cash, four packs of cigarettes and one bottle of hard liquor, police said.
Fitial was armed with a knife.
Robbery victim Ha Chen identified Fitial from mug shots provided by the police.
Ha Chen said Fitial was a regular customer and was usually seen walking near the store.
Assistant Attorney General Brian D. Gallagher represented the government while the court appointed Assistant Public Defender Adam Miles as Fitial’s counsel.
Santos was arrested for a separate case of attempting to rob a poker room, also in San Vicente, on Aug. 30.
Santos’ accomplice in the foiled poker robbery was Terence Aguon Fitial, 27, the elder brother of Calvin Fitial.
Terence Fitial has been in the custody of the Department of Corrections since his arrest on Monday morning.
Detective Bauleong said after Santos was arrested for the attempted poker robbery, he confessed his
involvement in the Green Island Market robbery and named Calvin Fitial as his accomplice.
Santos said Calvin Fitial was the one armed with a knife.
Earlier on the day of the robbery, Santos said he was at his aunt’s house when Calvin Fitial asked him “to help” rob a store in San Vicente.
“Santos said he initially refused but Calvin [Fitial] assured he would do everything and that all Santos had to do was to carry the items out from the store,” Bauleong said.
After the robbery, Bauleong said Calvin Fitial and Santos returned to the residence of Santos’ aunt.
“Calvin hand[ed] Santos four packs of cigarettes and they both consume[d] the hard liquor stolen from the store,” Bauleong said.
Calvin Fitial was convicted of burglary last year. He received a five-year jail sentence, all suspended, except for 18 months with credit for 96 days he already served at the Corrections facility.
Calvin Fitial has a pending theft charge, which was filed against him on March 8, 2010.
In 2000, Calvin Fitial, then a minor, pleaded guilty to burglary, and got a suspended two-year sentence and two years probation.
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