People v. Carter CA2/5

Facts In May, 2012, Jocelyn Woodard allowed Stevie C., and his sister Claire to stay in her apartment in Lancaster. She asked them to leave after a few days because Claire’s behavior was unacceptable. During the night of July 21, 2012, Woodard was asleep on the couch in her apartment when she was awakened by a man saying, “Wake up, bitch.” Two men wearing masks were holding down her head and feet. A third man was crouching down. One of the men was holding a gun.

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise specified. 2 Each appellant joins in any argument raised by the other which may be relevant to him. 2 The men taped Woodard’s mouth, wrists, and ankles, then put her on the floor and covered her with a blanket. She heard sounds coming from her son’s bedroom. (Her son was not home.) After 10 to 15 minutes, one of the men returned to the living room and gave Woodard a knife so that she could cut herself free. She did, then ran outside. She then went back inside to get her shoes and discovered one of the men was still inside. She ran back outside, and the man ran the other way. Woodard discovered a hole in the corner of a window in her son’s bedroom.…