Jurors have convicted a Sacramento man in a string of armed parking lot robberies that prosecutors say zeroed in on families heading to and from retail stores, leaving several of them shaken and missing valuables that included wedding rings and heirlooms. William Ellis was found guilty on multiple robbery counts and a felony evasion charge after prosecutors told the court he threatened victims with a handgun as they got into or out of their vehicles. Sentencing is set for May 15, and if enhancements and alleged prior strikes are upheld, Ellis could be looking at decades to life in prison.
How Prosecutors Made the Case
According to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, the jury returned guilty verdicts on seven robbery counts and a felony evasion charge, and also found true firearm-use enhancements for each incident. Prosecutors say the crimes unfolded across three separate incidents in July and August 2023, in retail parking lots where victims were approached as they were getting into their vehicles. Items taken ranged from everyday personal property to deeply personal keepsakes like wedding rings and family heirlooms.
What Victims Described In Court
Local reporting and court documents state that Ellis used a revolver to threaten shoppers while demanding jewelry and other personal items. FOX40 reports that authorities say he pressed a firearm against the ribcage of a 5-year-old child in one robbery, and in another pointed the gun at the body and neck of a 15-year-old. Several of the targets were families with young children, details prosecutors highlighted for jurors as aggravating circumstances in the case.
What Ellis Faces At Sentencing
The district attorney's office says Ellis faces a possible sentence of 246 years and four months to life if firearm enhancements and alleged prior strike convictions are upheld. Sentencing is scheduled for May 15 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Steve White. At that hearing, prosecutors say the court will decide whether Ellis has two prior strike convictions on his record, rulings that could dramatically increase whatever prison term is ultimately imposed.
Bigger Crackdown On Retail Crime
The verdict lands as state and local officials ramp up enforcement against retail theft and related violence, including coordinated task force operations that target organized retail crime. The Office of Governor Gavin Newsom has reported a sharp rise in organized retail crime investigations and recoveries in recent years, tied to multi-agency takedowns and stepped-up enforcement. Local prosecutors say those efforts are meant in part to curb thefts that can escalate into armed confrontations in parking lots and other public spaces, the kind of violence jurors heard about in Ellis's case.
Next up is the May sentencing hearing, where the judge will rule on the strike allegations and firearm enhancements and then set the punishment. Victims and witnesses could be called back to court as the judge weighs what sentence Ellis will serve.
