Man gets one year for robbery

A San Bernardino man who robbed a man in Newport Beach in August will spend the next year in jail. If he stays out of trouble after that, he can avoid prison time, authorities said Wednesday.

Anthony Elijio Ventura, 22, pleaded guilty last week to second-degree robbery for his part in attacking a 37-year-old man on the Balboa Peninsula in the middle of the night Aug. 18 and stealing his wallet. Police said at 4:45 a.m. Ventura and another man, Marco Zamudio, 19, of San Bernardino, attacked the victim as he waited for the bus at 32nd Street and Balboa Boulevard.

The man saw Ventura and Zamudio loitering across the street, said Sgt. Evan Sailor. The men then got into a car and after initially driving away, turned around and pulled up next to the victim, Sailor said. The two jumped out and attacked the man. Zamudio hit him in the head with a metal pipe, Sailor said.

Ventura admitted to the robbery, during which the man’s backpack and wallet were stolen. The victim managed to get the license plate number of the car as Ventura and his accomplice drove off, police said. They were arrested two days later in San Bernardino.

Ventura was sentenced to three years in prison and one year in jail. He began serving his jail term last week and from there will be put on formal, or supervised, probation. If he goes three years without violating any of his restrictions, he can avoid the three-year prison sentence, officials said.

Zamudio faces stiffer charges for allegedly using the pipe. He is charged with second-degree robbery with a sentencing enhancement for using a deadly weapon. He has pleaded not guilty and is due in court Dec. 1 for a preliminary hearing.