People v. Tuff CA4/3

FACTS

One afternoon, defendants and Angelo Will carried out a home invasion robbery. Around 3:00 p.m., Inder Jit and one of his sons left home to conduct the

2 family’s ice cream truck business. Sometime thereafter, Matthews and Will, wearing masks and gloves and armed with guns, entered the home and confronted Prem Rani, and her daughter, Suman Jit. Tuff, acting as a lookout and driver, remained outside in a car. Suman Jit initially ran to the garage but, concerned for her mother, she reentered the house. Matthews and Will placed Suman Jit in an interior windowless bathroom and duct taped her mouth, arms, and ankles. They also duct taped Rani’s hands together. For 30 to 40 minutes, Matthews and Will dragged Rani around the house demanding money and jewelry and the location of a safe, pointing their weapons at both victims and threatening to shoot if she failed to comply. While walking down the stairs after searching some bedrooms, one of the assailants struck Rani on the side of the head with the gun. Matthews and Will eventually left the home taking with them a black bag containing jewelry, some cash, and a shotgun. Before doing so, one of them kicked Rani while she lay face…