Teens get prison for armed robbery spree

SAN DIEGO — Two young men were sentenced to prison Thursday for robbing pedestrians at gunpoint and knifepoint during a crime spree in communities including Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park and La Jolla.

Victor Ledesma, 19, and 18-year-old Jonah Ledesma  — who are not related — pleaded guilty in September to robbery, auto theft and evading police.

Victor Ledesma — who has a robbery conviction from 2012 — was sentenced to 21 years and four months behind bars.

Judge Timothy Walsh sentenced Jonah Ledesma to 13 years in prison.

Two 15-year-olds were also arrested in connection with the crime spree and were prosecuted in Juvenile Court.

Authorities said the crime binge began shortly after 12:30 a.m. Jan. 23 at First and Pennsylvania avenues.

Deputy District Attorney Jim Koerber said nine victims were held up during six incidents.

Officers caught up with the four suspects in Mission Beach about 2:15 a.m. and a pursuit ensued that ended in the Point Loma area when the suspects’ car ran over a spike strip and smashed into another car, police said.

Victim William Blumenfeld told the judge that he made a lot of mistakes when he was 18 and said throwing the “kids” (the defendants) in jail for a long time didn’t make sense.

But Koerber said the defendants embarked on a “night of terror and threats” during their series of robberies.

At any point the defendants could have stopped the robberies, but they didn’t, the prosecutor said.