A Tucson couple and another man, all suspected of robbing banks last spring, were sentenced in Pima County Superior Court Wednesday.
Richard Rendon, 22, and his girlfriend, Lisa Denton, 21, are accused of robbing the Wells Fargo bank office at 4669 E. Broadway, of more than $500 on April 15, according to court documents.
Tucson police say Rendon handed a teller a note demanding money and saying “Do it and nobody gets hurt.”
The couple was arrested three days later when a detective noticed them walking down the street wearing clothing that matched the description of those worn by the robbers.
Rendon pleaded guilty to robbery and unlawful use of means of transportation in that case and to endangerment and driving under the influence in an unrelated case.
Denton pleaded guilty to facilitating an aggravated robbery.
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On Wednesday, Pima County Superior Court Judge Frank Dawley sentenced Rendon to two years and 10 months in prison, plus restitution.
Defense attorney Bobbi Berry had asked for some leniency, saying her client has struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues.
The judge sentenced Denton to six months in jail and three years probation, although if she can find a halfway house or residential treatment center, she could be released from jail immediately. She was also ordered to pay restitution.
Assistant Pima County Public Defender Kurt Mosley told Dawley that Denton has attended numerous rehabilitation programs at the jail since her arrest and regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. She had a difficult upbringing and has struggled with homelessness since the age of 16, he said.
Meanwhile, Pima County Superior Court Judge Howard Fell sentenced Eric Lodge Odeski to five years in prison Wednesday for robbing two banks in five days.
Odeski, 31, robbed a Chase Bank in South Tucson on March 21 and a Compass Bank, 945 E. Grant Road, on March 26, according to court documents.
In the second robbery, Odeski is alleged to have given a teller a note demanding $100 and $50 bills before leaving with $2,030 and an exploding dye pack.
Police spoke with employees of various businesses in the area immediately after the robbery and one of them later called police when she recognized Odeski from their descriptions.
Odeski was arrested wearing the same clothes he wore during the robbery and with red dye all over his hands, court documents state.
