Court Opinion

ID: 9896619
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-13 21:05:16.810722+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:10.771923
License: Public Domain

Filed 11/13/23 P. v. Wence CA2/8
   NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions
not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion
has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

                         SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

                                      DIVISION EIGHT

 THE PEOPLE,                                                    B327336

           Plaintiff and Respondent,                            (Los Angeles County
                                                                Super. Ct. No. KA129956)
           v.

 VICTOR WENCE,

           Defendant and Appellant.

     APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of
Los Angeles County. Victor D. Martinez, Judge. Affirmed.
     Keith Fox, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for
Defendant and Appellant.
     No appearance for Plaintiff and Respondent.
              _________________________________
       Victor Wence appeals from his judgment of conviction of
one count of second degree robbery (Pen. Code,1 § 211). Wence’s
appellate counsel filed a brief asking this court to proceed under
People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d 436 (Wende). We affirm.
       On the morning of March 29, 2022, the victim, Darin
White, was driving a semi-truck for work. As White was merging
onto the freeway, his truck collided with a car occupied by Wence,
Abel Rodriguez, and Olivia Sandoval. Wence and his companions
got out of their car and approached White’s truck.
       After opening the driver’s door of the truck, Wence punched
White in the face. He then pulled a gun from his waistband and
demanded White hand over his property. Wence took White’s
wallet containing his identification card, credit cards, and bank
debit card. He also took White’s wedding ring, Apple watch and
AirPods, work and personal iPhones, keys to his truck and
personal vehicle, and the truck’s electronic logging device and
GPS device. Wence asked White for the personal identification
number for his debit card, which White provided. As he was
taking the items, Wence pointed the gun at White’s chest. Wence
told White that he had his information and would kill his family
if White called the police.
       During the robbery, Wence ripped out the camera located
on the truck’s dashboard. Before the camera was disabled,
however, it recorded images of Wence, Sandoval, and the car that
collided with White’s truck. After taking White’s property,
Wence ordered him to lie face down in the truck’s sleeper cab.
Wence and his companions then left the scene. That same day,

1     Unless otherwise stated, all further statutory references
are to the Penal Code.

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an unauthorized withdrawal was made from White’s bank
account.
       Later that day, the police located the suspect car in the
robbery at a motel. After observing Wence and Sandoval leave
the motel, the police detained them. Wence had a BB gun in his
waistband. He also was wearing a wedding ring, which White
later identified as his own. Sandoval was wearing White’s Apple
watch on her wrist, and had a backpack containing White’s
iPhones and AirPods.
       The police reviewed surveillance video that showed Wence,
Sandoval, and Rodriguez going in and out of a motel room after
the robbery. The police located Rodriguez inside that room.
During a search of the room, the police found an electronic
logging device, a GPS device, and two identification cards with
Wence’s name. During a search of the suspect car, the police
found White’s keys to his personal vehicle and a tax document for
his employer.
       Later that night, the police interviewed Wence after
advising him of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
384 U.S. 436. Wence admitted he was involved in the robbery.
According to Wence, he was a passenger in the car when it was
hit by White’s truck. Sandoval, Rodriguez, and another man
were also in the car. Following the collision, all four occupants
got out of the car and approached White’s truck. Wence punched
White in the face and showed him the BB gun. After his
companions took White’s property, Wence ordered White to lie
down in the back of his truck. Wence claimed he took these
actions to protect White because his companions would have
“snatched [White] out from the truck” otherwise, and he did not
want White to get hurt.

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       In an amended information, the Los Angeles County
District Attorney’s Office charged Wence with one count of second
degree robbery (§ 211), one count of making a criminal threat
(§ 422, subd. (a)), and one count of grand theft of an access card
(§ 484e, subd. (d)). The information alleged that Wence had one
prior strike conviction (§§ 667, subd. (d), 1170.12, subd. (b)), and
four prior convictions that made him ineligible for probation
(§ 1203, subd. (e)(4)). It further alleged that Wence was armed
with and used a knife in the commission of the offenses, had been
convicted of other crimes for which consecutive sentences could
have been imposed, and had prior convictions that were
numerous and increasing in seriousness (Cal. Rules of Court,
rule 4.421(a)(2), (a)(7), (b)(2)).
       The case was tried to a jury. At the request of Wence’s
counsel, the trial court instructed the jury on the defense of
necessity. The court also instructed the jury on petty theft as a
lesser included offense of robbery. The jury found Wence guilty
on the second degree robbery count. The jury was unable to
reach a verdict on the two remaining counts, and the court
declared a mistrial as to those counts.
       Wence waived his right to a jury trial on the prior
conviction and aggravating factor allegations. In a bifurcated
proceeding, Wence admitted the prior strike allegation, and the
trial court found the other allegations to be true beyond a
reasonable doubt.
       On the robbery count, the trial court sentenced Wence to
the high term of five years in state prison, doubled to 10 years
based on the prior strike conviction. On the People’s motion, the
court dismissed the remaining counts. Wence was awarded 281
days of custody credit, consisting of 245 days of actual custody

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credit and 36 days of conduct credit. Wence filed a timely notice
of appeal.
      We appointed counsel to represent Wence on appeal. After
an examination of the record, appellate counsel filed an opening
brief which raised no issues and requested this court conduct an
independent review of the record under Wende, supra, 25 Cal.3d
436. On July 28, 2023, we advised Wence that he had 30 days in
which to submit a supplemental brief stating any grounds for
appeal or arguments he wished for this court to consider. Wence
did not submit a supplemental brief.
      We have examined the record and are satisfied Wence’s
appellate attorney has fully complied with the responsibilities of
counsel and no arguable issues exist. (People v. Kelly (2006)
40 Cal.4th 106, 119; Wende, supra, 25 Cal.3d at p. 441.)
                         DISPOSITION
      The judgment is affirmed.

                                          VIRAMONTES, J.

      WE CONCUR:

                  STRATTON, P. J.

                  GRIMES, J.

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