The People v. Love CA4/2

California Court of Appeal·Decided September 20, 2013·No. E055359·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 9/20/13 P. v. Love CA4/2

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT DIVISION TWO

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, E055359 v. (Super.Ct.No. FSB1003542) DAVID LEE LOVE et al., OPINION Defendants and Appellants.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of San Bernardino County. Kyle S. Brodie, Judge. Affirmed in part; reversed in part.

Gerald J. Miller, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant David Lee Love.

Gregory L. Cannon, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant David Edward Couzens.

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, and Lilia E. Garcia and Raquel M. Gonzalez, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

I. INTRODUCTION

Defendant David Lee Love appeals from his conviction of kidnapping (Pen.

Code,1 § 207, subd. (a); count 2) and attempted robbery (§§ 211, 664; count 6), with true findings on allegations of three prior prison term convictions (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). Love contends (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction of kidnapping, and (2) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction of attempted robbery We find no error, and we affirm the judgment as to Love.

Defendant David Edward Couzens appeals from his conviction of kidnapping (§ 207, subd. (a); count 2), kidnapping to commit robbery (§ 209, subd. (b)(1); count 3), assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury (§ 245, subd. (a)(1); count 4), and battery with serious bodily injury (§ 243, subd. (d); count 5) with true findings on allegations of great bodily injury (§ 12022.7, subd. (a); as to counts 2 through 4) and a prior strike conviction. (§ 1170.12, subds. (a)-(d)). Couzens contends his sentence for assault must be stayed under section 654, and he argues his sentence violated constitutional protections against double jeopardy. He also argues the matter must be remanded for appointment of counsel to investigate and file, if appropriate, a motion for new trial based on ineffective assistance of counsel.2 We conclude Couzens’s conviction

1 All statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 Each defendant joins his codefendant’s arguments to the extent they benefit him.

However, because each defendant’s arguments are personal, there is no benefit to such joinder.

of simple kidnapping must be reversed because it is a lesser included offense of kidnapping for robbery. We find no other errors.

II. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND About midnight on August 20, 2010, two women flagged down Steve Madsen, who was driving his truck in San Bernardino. The women said they were scared, and they asked him for a ride home. The older woman, Rachel Delgado, got into the front passenger seat, and the younger woman, Ashley Contreras, got into the rear seat. After Delgado gave directions, which appeared to lead in a circle, Madsen told the women they needed to get out. Delgado said they were only a couple houses away, and Madsen stopped in front of a house she indicated on Ninth Street. As the women got out, Delgado moved slowly and looked to her right; she left the front passenger door open. She said to Contreras, “Let’s get out of here.” The two women headed west on Ninth Street.

Suddenly, Couzens appeared at the open door of the truck with his right arm bent behind his back. He yelled, “What the fuck are you doing with my wife and daughter[?]” Madsen said he was not doing anything, and Couzens said, “I am going to fucking kill you. Get out of the car.” Madsen believed Couzens was holding a gun behind his back. At Couzens’s order, Madsen turned off the engine and the lights and got out of the truck. Couzens again asked what Madsen had been doing with his wife and daughter. Madsen replied that it was a misunderstanding, and he would give Couzens whatever he wanted.

Couzens grabbed Madsen’s arm and pulled him towards an abandoned house.

Couzens kept repeating that he was going to kill Madsen. Madsen said he had a wife and

kids and asked Couzens not to hurt him. Couzens said, “Don’t—don’t fuck with my— nobody fucks with my wife.” He held Madsen by the throat and kept shoving him against the wall. Madsen kept pleading and said he could get money for Couzens. Couzens reached into Madsen’s pockets and demanded his money. He took all of Madsen’s money and his watch.

Couzens was still holding Madsen against the wall and grabbing his throat when Love entered from another room inside the house; he appeared to be surprised. Couzens punched Madsen on the face with his forearm. Love, sounding “mean and pissed off,” asked what was going on. Madsen continued pleading; he offered the men anything they wanted, and he said if they went to an ATM (automated teller machine), he could get the men $500 apiece. Love said, “Let him. Let him get us the money,” and “Let’s let him go to the ATM.”

Couzens demanded Madsen’s wallet, and Madsen complied. Couzens then said, “Let’s go to the fucking bank.” Couzens and Love followed Madsen to his truck, and Couzens said, “You do something stupid, I will kill your whole fucking family.” Once at the truck, Couzens told Love he could not go because he had warrants, but that Love should go with Madsen while Couzens waited at the house. Love got into the passenger seat of the truck. Madsen said he needed his wallet back to get them the money. Couzens returned the wallet. When Madsen got in the truck, Couzens demanded that he return the wallet. Couzens took Madsen’s “Triple A” card and then returned the wallet, saying, “Now I have your name, and if you do anything stupid, I am going to kill you and your family.”

Madsen was bleeding from his upper lip. He reached for his gym bag to get a towel, and Love asked what he was doing. When Madsen explained, Love said, “Okay. Get a rag, then.” Madsen got a towel and pressed it to his lip, then started driving. Love gave him directions and said, “Just get the money and get back. I am not fucking a part of this.” He kept telling Madsen not to do anything stupid. Madsen was scared because he did not know if Love had a weapon. Love pointed out a mini mart that had an ATM, but Madsen said he could not get enough money there, and they needed to go to a bank.

Madsen saw a police car coming up the other side of the street. Love repeated, “Don’t fucking do something stupid,” but Madsen made a U-turn. Love opened the door to try to jump out, but Madsen was going too fast, and Love closed the door and told him, “You are fucking dead.” Madsen stopped in front of the police officer and jumped out with his hands in the air, saying, “Help, they are trying to kill me.” Love was arrested at the scene.

Madsen accompanied officers back to the house on Ninth Street. On the way, he saw Couzens walking down the street and pointed him out to the officers. Couzens had fresh scrapes on his knuckles. Delgado and Contreras approached, and Madsen identified them as the women to whom he had given a ride.

Madsen was treated at the hospital for a blunt force injury to his lip; the laceration had cut the labial artery, and the wound was closed with stitches.

Delgado pled guilty to second degree robbery in connection with the instant case.

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