SAN FRANCISCO – A 23-year-old man is facing a possible prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of stealing a car at gunpoint nearly three years ago in San Francisco, according to authorities.
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Jose Guevara-Espinoza was convicted Tuesday of carjacking and robbery, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
On April 16, 2022, Guevara-Espinoza and an accomplice accosted the victim with guns drawn and demanded his car keys while he was parked in the 3700 block of Fillmore Street, according to prosecutors. The victim, fearing he would be shot, handed over his wallet and the keys to his 2018 BMW. One of the assailants then ran to the BMW and forced a passenger out at gunpoint while the other got into a getaway car.
Prosecutors said the victim used an AirTag on his car keys and the BMW mobile application to track his car to Oakland. Dash camera video also showed Guevara-Espinoza driving the BMW in the city and swapping out the license plates with another car.
Officers with the Oakland Police Department recovered the car the same night and found Guevara-Espinoza’s sweatshirt inside, according to prosecutors. Pants and shoes he was wearing in the video and a gun were later discovered during a search of his home.
Six hours before the armed carjacking in San Francisco, Guevara-Espinoza and his accomplice accosted another individual for his vehicle in Berkeley, prosecutors said.
And on April 25, 2022, Guevara-Espinoza and two other accomplices took another person’s car at gunpoint in Daly City, according to prosecutors. That car was also recovered during the search of his home.
“I want to thank the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence in this case and returning a just verdict that holds Mr. Guevara-Espinoza accountable for his actions,” San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Angela Roze said in a statement. “This verdict sends a message that violent crime will not be tolerated in our city.”
Guevara-Espinoza remains in custody. Prosecutors said his sentencing will be scheduled following a hearing on May 2.
