People v. Banks CA2/5

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The Robbery

G.R.’s Testimony

G.R. was a manager at McDonald’s Restaurant located at the cross-section of 4th Street and Bonito Street in Long Beach. On January 25, 2022, Banks entered the McDonald’s at about 1:30 p.m. and asked to speak with the manager. Banks claimed he had been given a counterfeit $5 bill the night before and wanted to exchange it for a real $5 bill. G.R. spoke with him about the problem. She was standing about two feet away from Banks during the conversation. She could hear his voice clearly. Banks did not have anything covering his face, and G.R. could see his features clearly. G.R. asked the general manager if they could exchange the bill. The general manager said that, if Banks left his name and phone number, they could check the security cameras and verify whether he had been given a $5 bill the night before. Banks became frustrated and left the restaurant.3 At about 1:50 p.m., G.R. noticed that the door in the employee section that is supposed to stay closed was ajar. She attempted to close the door, but a person on the other side pushed it open. Once the door was pushed open, G.R. recognized the person to be the same person…