District Attorney Mark D’Antonio announced that a man convicted of robbing several Jack in the Box employees and customers was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Chief District Judge Fernando Macias sentenced Lewie Gonzalez, 28, to 15 years behind bars and five years of probation.
In June, the defendant pleaded no contest to five counts of kidnapping and 10 counts of armed robbery, all second-degree felonies.
The incident happened in October 2015 at the Jack in the Box restaurant on Telshor Boulevard in Las Cruces. According to witnesses, the defendant, armed with a knife, entered the restaurant, demanded money and forced five employees into a walk-in freezer.
At sentencing, prosecutors asked for 40 years in prison. Instead, he received to 15 years in prison and five years of probation.
Gonzalez’s co-defendant, Frankie Valenzuela, is scheduled to go to trial in November.
Information from Third Judicial District Attorney's office