Teen pleads guilty to shooting compliant clerk in robbery

Teen pleads guilty to shooting compliant clerk in robbery

(Derek Petersen, KSL TV)


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SALT LAKE CITY — A teenage boy accused of holding up four gas stations with his friends pleaded guilty Friday to part of the case in juvenile court, then pleaded guilty in the adult system to shooting a compliant clerk in the final robbery.

Julian Carmona, who turns 17 next week, pleaded guilty in juvenile court to one count of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, while three identical charges were dismissed. However, Carmona will pay restitution for all three robberies, his attorney noted.

Carmona then moved to a district courtroom where he pleaded guilty as an adult to aggravated robbery and two counts of felony discharge of a firearm. The charges are all first-degree felonies carrying potential prison sentences of five years to life.

Carmona and the two other teens were accused of going to the Exxon convenience store, 2187 W. 4700 South, on Jan. 23 and ordering the clerk at gunpoint to hand over money from the cash registers.

Maxwell Vanorden, 21, gave the teens the money, but Carmona later said he shot the clerk twice because "he wasn't listening to me," and said "the clerk thought it was a game and wasn't taking them seriously," charging documents state.

Police, however, said the clerk was in "total compliance" with the teens' demands.

Vanorden was shot once in his left leg, shattering his femur. The second bullet went through his left wrist — shattering it — and then continued into his abdomen, piercing his bladder, according to police and prosecutors.

In the juvenile case, Carmona was ordered to serve time in a secure juvenile detention facility. When his time there is complete, he will be sentenced for the district court charges.

As he stood Friday before 3rd District Juvenile Judge Dane Nolan, his shackled hands clasped in front of him, the thin teen explained that he and his friends had planned their heists for a few days.

"I went to a gas station with a couple of kids, I demanded money from the clerk, and I stole a couple cigars," Carmona said.

When the judge asked him why they did it, Carmona replied, "I guess we were all desperate for like, for some money, so we decided to do it."

Carmona's guilty plea in juvenile court stemmed from a robbery at a Shell gas station, 7210 W. 3500 South, on Jan. 22.

Prosecutor Sandi Johnson pointed out it was one of three gas stations robbed in less than two hours, and that the crimes involved more than just running in and grabbing some cash. The clerk, who the teens ordered onto the floor at gunpoint, left his job after the violent encounter and is still impacted by the trauma, she said.

"He was on the phone with his wife, he was talking to her, and when they came in, they actually put a gun to his head," Johnson said, explaining that the clerk's wife heard what was happening and called 911.

"He thought he was going to die," Johnson went on to say, as Carmona hung his head.

Carmona's attorney, Bill Russell, said the teen has made tremendous progress in juvenile custody since his arrest in January, while a representative from Juvenile Justice Services praised Carmona's progress and desire to continue improving.

"Of all the cases I've worked with in my career, I feel that Julian has put the most thought into how life could have been different if he had made better choices," the social worker said, wishing him luck.

Russell said Carmona has especially benefitted since his girlfriend has been allowed to visit regularly with the baby they share. Carmona is committed to become a positive and supportive role model for his son, the attorney said.

"They hope to someday raise their baby jointly," Russell said. "Julian's goal right now is to work on his issues so that he can be a really awesome dad."

As he handed down a sentence for the teen, Nolan said that while Carmona is clearly "in a lot of trouble here," he is being given an opportunity to turn his life around.

"This doesn't need to ruin your life, this doesn't need to ruin your family's future," Nolan said.

The judge also ordered Carmona to complete 250 hours of community service and write an apology letter to the gas station clerk from the robbery.

"Do a good job with that, Julian. That's something I have found is very important to victims," Nolan urged.

A 17-year-old boy involved in the robberies pleaded guilty in juvenile court earlier this month to two counts of aggravated robbery, both first-degree felonies, while two identical charges were dismissed. He was sentenced to detention in a secure youth facility, where a Youth Parole Authority could potentially hold him until age 21, and must complete 500 hours of community service.

The third teen, age 17, returns to court June 2.

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