People v. St. Germain

Gregory St. Germain appeals from the entry of a judgment of conviction after a jury found him guilty of grand theft (Pen. Code, § 487, subd. I), receiving stolen property (§ 496, subd. 1), and robbery (§ 211), and he admitted that he had served a prior prison term within the meaning of section 667.5, subdivision (b). We affirm.

Facts

Prosecution’s Case

Ms. Maruja Smith, who resided in Willemstad, Curacao, and Mr. Jacques Kowsoleea, a resident of the Netherlands, came to San Francisco in March of 1980 for a vacation. On March 16, the couple visited a friend, Coco, and met appellant. Appellant drove the four of them to the San Francisco home of Stella Gregg Meyer, a friend of Coco’s. After eating, Meyer and Coco left the house to pick up Smith’s dog and were gone for a few hours. After they returned, the group drove to a restaurant at Market and Noe Streets, in San Francisco. Ms. Smith left, in appellant’s car, her leather pouch which contained her passport, Kowsoleea’s passport, about $1,000 in cash, airplane tickets to Amsterdam, a camera, various items of jewelry and other personal belongings. According to Smith, appellant knew that she had left her pouch in his…