This Rastafarian insists he’s no “ragamuffin.”
Robert Joseph Simmons, 33, claims he’s not a lazy hippie, or in his words, a “ragamuffin,” but rather a Rastafarian minister whose refusal to abandon his beliefs might land him behind bars for a long time.
Simmons said he’s facing up to eight years in prison over a pot bust because he did not accept a plea agreement with prosecutors last week that would have had him serving just 60 days. Read More
Every little thing has not been all right for this Rastafarian.
Robert Joseph Simmons, 33, believes he doesn’t need a medical card to possess marijuana because buds are a “core tenet” of his religion. At least, that was the Belmont resident’s claim after he was busted in April 2011 with more than 2½ pounds of pot and 13 pills of hydromorphine, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Read More
A San Carlos man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he savagely beat another patron of a Belmont bar early Monday, critically injuring him.
Joseph Patrick Kaufman, 23, and the 48-year-old victim had been drinking separately at Lariat Tavern, prosecutors said, but they got into an argument outside the bar after closing time about 2:15 a.m. Read More
A sleazy sibling who used her twin sister’s identity to score a job caring for an elderly Belmont couple ended up robbing the seniors, according to prosecutors.
Kathleen Susan Fortune, 44, of Foster City, was on probation for a grand theft conviction last year but apparently couldn’t stay out of trouble, as she allegedly conned a San Mateo-based caregiving agency into offering her a job. Read More
Call it the iDash.
A thief in Belmont struck two electronics stores within minutes Monday afternoon, in each case asking a clerk to see a tablet computer before fleeing with the device in a getaway minivan.
The robberies at the RadioShack at 870 Ralston Ave. and the GameStop at 1200 El Camino Real occurred at about 3 p.m., according to Belmont police. At least three suspects were seen in the fleeing vehicle.
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Opening statements are set to begin Thursday in the trial of a transient accused of beating to death an 88-year-old Belmont man during a residential burglary three years ago.
On Tuesday, a jury was finalized in the case against Tyler Hutchinson, 24, who is accused of fatally beating Albert Korn and stealing his Jaguar in what was Belmont’s lone homicide in 2009. Read More
A stunning crowbar attack in front of a bustling Peet’s coffee shop in Belmont earlier this month stemmed from a jailhouse spat between rival bikers, prosecutors said Monday.Orlando Rodriguez, 40, who prosecutors said is a member of the so-called Wanted motorcycle club, faces multiple charges in connection with the March 6 brawl that broke out while the El Camino coffee shop was buzzing with customers about 11:35 a.m. Read More
The kid must be made of steel. A 17-year-old struck by a car while running from cops in Belmont ultimately needed to be Tased before he was taken into custody Monday. The fleeing teenager was struck and knocked down by a 2000 Jaguar driven by a 75-year-old Belmont woman on El Camino near Ralston Avenue around 10:15 a.m. Read More
A career crook accused of committing hundreds of auto burglaries on the Peninsula — including as many as 100 in one night in Belmont — is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in court Wednesday.Parolee Travis Castellanos, 21, and his girlfriend, Jenna Montani, 21, face charges in connection with multiple car thefts in Belmont between July 27 and Aug. 10. Read More
Here's some junk mail. A hero mailman working his route in Belmont delivered three burglars to cops Monday afternoon, police said. The mailman called 911 after spotting three suspicious men at a home on Yorkshire Way and noticing an open gate to the backyard of the residence, Belmont police said. Read More
