LANCASTER — A Lancaster man will serve up to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing eight stores over a two-month span between January and March of 2018, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Rayvonne Perez-Acosta was 17 years old when he committed the crimes, but Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright denied a motion to have the case tried in juvenile court. Perez-Acosta, who brandished a stolen gun at store employees while committing the robberies, pleaded guilty to eight counts of robbery and two firearms charges, the DA’s office said.
Wright ordered a sentence of six to 12 years in prison.
In one of the cases, a store employee pulled a gun and Perez-Acosta fled. He then robbed another store one hour later, striking a cashier, prosecutors said.
Lancaster city police Detective Stanley Roache charged Perez-Acosta with these robberies:
- Jan. 6, 2018, at A&M Grocery, 45 New Dorwart St.
- Jan. 11, 2018, at A&M Grocery, 45 New Dorwart St.
- Jan. 23, 2018, at Gas Mart, 653 Columbia Ave.
- Jan. 27, 2018, at U.S. Gas Mart, 401 N. Lime St.
- Jan. 29, 2018, at Mangat Mini Mart, 629 W. Orange St.
- Feb. 15, 2018, at O&J Grocery, 121 E. Walnut St.
- Feb. 15, 2018, at U.S. Gas Mart, 401, N. Lime St.
- March 1, 2018, at Strawberry Grocery, 100 W. Strawberry St.
Judge Wright told Perez-Acosta he was lucky he or one of the clerks, or an innocent bystander, was not killed during the spree.
Perez-Acosta was ordered to pay more than $2,800 in restitution.
