RIVERSIDE — A probationer who robbed a Moreno Valley restaurant with a knife was sentenced Tuesday to five years in state prison.
Francisco Jesus Miranda, 24, pleaded guilty last month to armed robbery and probation violations. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors dropped a charge of being in possession of a controlled substance.
A Riverside County Superior Court judge certified the terms of the plea agreement and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.
On the morning of Feb. 13, Miranda entered an establishment in the 14000 block of Moreno Beach Drive, near Cactus Avenue, and pulled a knife on an employee at the register, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Jeremy Harding.
The convicted felon ordered the victim to empty the register or risk being slashed, and the worker complied, handing over an undisclosed amount of money, according to Harding. He said Miranda fled on foot, running southbound, as restaurant employees called 911.
Deputies deployed a dragnet, covering a wide area in an effort to find the defendant, who was located roughly four hours later hiding near private property in the 16000 block of Heather Glen Road. He was taken into custody without a struggle.
According to court records, his prior convictions include making criminal threats, theft and shoplifting.
