Candidates for a 25th Judicial District judge vacancy will be interviewed on Sept. 8 at the Finney County Courthouse. Gavel
San Diego, California – A man convicted of leading a violent bank robbery crew that targeted financial institutions across San Diego County was sentenced Monday to nearly 500 years to life in prison.
Larry Lightning Jr., 45, was found guilty of more than two dozen felony charges related to a string of armed robberies between 2019 and 2022 in Escondido, Scripps Ranch, Kearny Mesa, and Carlsbad. Prosecutors say the crew stole nearly $400,000 in total.
Lightning’s sentencing — 488 years and eight months to life — follows a San Diego jury’s verdict holding him responsible for a spree marked by brutality and fear. The charges included 10 counts of kidnapping, 12 counts of assault with a firearm, multiple robbery and auto theft counts, and enhancements under California’s Three Strikes Law due to prior convictions.
According to prosecutors, Lightning and his crew used stolen cars to flee banks located near freeways, maximizing their chances of quick getaways. During the hold-ups, the robbers brandished firearms and used force against employees, sometimes dragging them by their hair, shoving them at gunpoint into vaults, and threatening to kill them if they didn’t move fast enough. In at least one instance, Lightning reportedly counted down out loud, increasing the psychological trauma for the victims.
Investigators tied Lightning to the crimes after finding his DNA on the driver’s seat of a stolen getaway vehicle. He was arrested in 2023, years after the first robbery occurred.
Despite the verdict, Lightning’s defense maintained that the evidence was circumstantial, pointing to the lack of direct identification or surveillance footage. A public defender said the case will likely be appealed. However, Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon said the case against Lightning was among the strongest she had ever seen and condemned the psychological violence inflicted on the victims.
Before sentencing, the court heard from several of those employees, who described ongoing fear, trauma, and an inability to feel safe at work even years after the robberies. One victim reportedly described living in a constant state of paranoia.
Lightning’s accomplices remain largely unidentified, though one known associate, Gregory Moore, was fatally shot in Lemon Grove in 2023 in what authorities say was an unrelated incident. Lightning also faces an additional case for allegedly attempting to escape custody while awaiting trial.
Though the crew’s full membership remains unclear, prosecutors emphasized that the sentencing represents a major step toward justice in one of the county’s most chilling recent crime sprees.
