People v. Vercher CA3

BACKGROUND

Law enforcement authorities were investigating a series of robberies from medical marijuana collectives in Redding in the summer of 2011. On August 12, two young men, wearing masks and gloves and carrying guns, entered Northern Patients Group, took marijuana and cash, and hit an employee with a gun. The robbers fled toward a

2 convenience store. Surveillance video from the convenience store showed a white vehicle, like defendant’s white Range Rover with custom wheels, at the convenience store near the time the Northern Patients Group robbery was reported to authorities. Northern Patients Group had been robbed a few weeks prior and an employee of another medical marijuana collective reported seeing a man she later identified as defendant slowly driving a white sports utility vehicle past her collective on September 14. Police identified defendant as a person of interest. Members of the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force conducted surveillance of defendant and his white Range Rover on September 15. Defendant lived in Redding with his girlfriend Janel and her 16-year-old son C. Janel owned a Dodge Charger. Cell phone records show defendant’s cell phone sent C.’s…