Jordan Anderson v. Commonwealth of Virginia

Court of Appeals of Virginia·Decided February 25, 2025·No. 1254234·Unpublished

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA UNPUBLISHED

Present: Judges Huff,* AtLee and Ortiz Argued by videoconference

JORDAN ANDERSON

MEMORANDUM OPINION** BY

v. Record No. 1254-23-4 JUDGE RICHARD Y. ATLEE, JR.

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY Kimberly A. Irving, Judge

Brett Blobaum, Senior Appellate Attorney (Michelle C.F. Derrico, Senior Appellate Attorney; Virginia Indigent Defense Commission, on briefs), for appellant.

Liam A. Curry, Assistant Attorney General (Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General, on brief), for appellee.

Following a trial, a jury found Jordan Anderson guilty of second-degree murder, robbery, attempted robbery, armed statutory burglary, 2 counts of aggravated malicious wounding, 17 counts of abduction for pecuniary benefit, and 22 counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.1 On appeal, he raises multiple issues. First, he argues that the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on the lesser-included offense of voluntary manslaughter.2 Second, he argues that the trial

*

Judge Huff participated in the hearing and decision of this case prior to the effective date of his retirement on December 31, 2024.

**

This opinion is not designated for publication. See Code § 17.1-413(A).

1

Anderson does not challenge his convictions for attempted robbery, robbery, and one count of aggravated malicious wounding. Nor does he challenge the three use of a firearm convictions associated with those convictions. Anderson also does not challenge his conviction for statutory burglary.

2

Anderson also challenges the related conviction for use of a firearm in the commission of a murder.

court erred when it refused to merge the charges of aggravated malicious wounding and murder, which he contends violates double jeopardy protections. Third, he argues the trial court erred by denying his motion to strike the abduction charges because the abductions were inherent in the robbery and attempted robbery convictions. Finally, Anderson argues that because his convictions for abduction should have been struck, so should the associated convictions for use of a firearm in the commission of an abduction. We disagree and affirm his convictions.

I. BACKGROUND

“On appeal, we state the facts in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth,” the prevailing party below. Newsome v. Commonwealth, 81 Va. App. 43, 48 (2024).

Early in the morning on December 26, 2019, Anderson, along with his accomplice, walked into a Denny’s restaurant in Manassas, Virginia, dressed in dark clothes and face masks. Anderson carried a firearm, and his accomplice carried a baton. As they entered the restaurant, they yelled at everyone to get down on the ground. The men ordered everyone to hand over their cellphones, and Anderson’s accomplice went around collecting the phones. Anderson moved around the restaurant directing the employees to come to the front of the restaurant and join the customers on the ground.

A. The Abductions When Anderson and his accomplice entered the restaurant, there were multiple customers.

Bradley Sheetz, Leyla Shafag, and M.A.3 were sitting together at a table. Anderson yelled at them to get on the ground and he put his firearm against Shafag’s head. Sheetz handed over his cellphone, and all three individuals got down on the ground. Sheetz sat on the ground next to the table, while Shafag and M.A. sat under the table.

3 We identify the minors, M.A. and A.Q., by their initials to protect their privacy.

Roberto Gonzalez, Esperanza Medina, Mariana Medina, and Jazlyn Riveros Vasquez were sitting together. Gonzalez heard the men ask people to put their cellphones on the table. When told to do so, Gonzalez placed his phone on the table before joining his companions under the table. After a while, Gonzalez heard two or three gunshots, but he did not see the shots. The four of them remained under the table until Anderson and his accomplice left.

Nearby, Jairo Andino, Jeslyn Andino, A.Q., and Marisol Romero sat together. Upon hearing loud noises, Jairo looked up and saw Anderson pointing a gun in his direction. He heard the men tell everybody to hand over “our phones, like all of our possessions, and place them on the table.” He handed over his phone, and he testified that he remembered the men collecting all the belongings from his table. Jairo could not remember whether the men directed him to get under the table or whether he did so on his own, but he got on the floor and told his companions to get under the table as well. He remembered hearing one of the men “getting angry” and saying “that they wanted to shoot someone or kill someone because of how angry they were.” He heard gunshots, but he could not recall exactly how many.

Along with the customers, several employees were also in the restaurant at the time Anderson entered. Esther Jacinto was working in the back as a dishwasher when Anderson came into the back with a firearm. He asked Jacinto for her phone, but she did not have it with her. He also asked where her “boss” was, and she responded that she did not know. Anderson then moved her to the front of the restaurant with the customers and pushed her to the ground. She stayed there until the police arrived.

Ysnia Guardado also worked as a dishwasher. She testified that Anderson grabbed her around the neck with his left hand and pointed a gun at her head. He then moved her from the bathroom area to “the other side of the kitchen,” which was the back area of the restaurant normally used for seating customers. He told her to lie face down on the floor and not move.

Esperanza Guardado Guardado was working as a server. Anderson came into the kitchen, pointed a gun at her and the cook, and asked them where the manager was. When neither knew, he told them to go to the front of the restaurant and ordered them to lie on the floor. Maria Medina was working as a cook. She testified that she saw someone with a gun as she walked out of the refrigerator. Anderson asked why she was looking at him and pointed the gun at her. He turned her around, put the gun to her head, moved her to the front of the restaurant, and threw her to the ground.

Ana Ramirez and Kathleen Shanahan were also working as servers that night. Both heard the men yell at everyone to get down on the ground, and both complied. Shanahan saw Anderson’s firearm pointed at her. He asked her where the manager was, but she did not know.

B. The Robberies Relevant to this appeal, Anderson was convicted of the robbery of Gonzalez and the attempted robbery of Jennifer Jaramillo. Gonzalez testified that when he placed his phone on the table, he also emptied his pockets, placing his keys and wallet on either the table or the seat of the booth where he had been sitting. The surveillance video shows Anderson’s accomplice taking Gonzalez’s wallet from the seat of the booth. Gonzalez and his companions remained under the table for a few minutes until Anderson and his accomplice left the restaurant.

Jennifer Jaramillo was a server at Denny’s. She was getting ready to leave after her shift when Anderson approached her, pointed a gun at her head, and told her to get down on the ground. He then put the gun to her head and asked her for the password for the computer, but she did not know it. He also asked where her manager was, but she did not know. Anderson went to the back, and Jaramillo was scared so she stayed on the floor. The men came back without finding the manager, and she testified that they tried to leave.

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