The criminal case against a 28-year-old man charged in a Pittsburg robbery remains on hold while a psychiatric competency evaluation is pending, with a report expected in October. The Mercury News, citing court records, reported that prosecutors filed robbery and firearm-enhancement charges in June 2026 over an alleged incident in November 2025: The Mercury News.
What prosecutors allege
Prosecutors allege that the victim was followed from a bank in Antioch to Century Boulevard in Pittsburg, where the defendant confronted the victim with a gun. According to The Mercury News’ account of court records, the defendant allegedly held the weapon to the victim’s head, warned the victim not to follow him, fired a round into the victim’s truck and left with $5,000.
Identification evidence
In its account of the court records, The Mercury News reported that investigators connected the suspect to a Cadillac allegedly used in the robbery and used cellphone-location records in identifying him. The report also said the defendant denied participating and told authorities he had borrowed the Cadillac from a family member after his own vehicle exploded. Those details are attributed to that report and have not been independently verified here.
What the FBI says about bank-jugging
According to FBI Baltimore, “jugging” involves targeting customers believed to have large amounts of cash at a bank or ATM or after following them to another location. The FBI advises anyone who suspects they are being followed after banking to drive to a police station or a crowded, well-lit area and call 911. Those recommendations are intended for people who believe they may be under surveillance after leaving a financial institution; they do not establish what occurred in this case.
The competency issue
The case was put on hold after the defendant’s attorney raised concerns about his mental competency, court records reported. That concern should not be described by itself as automatically stopping all proceedings; the statutory competency process requires the appropriate court action before the case is formally paused. The evaluation concerns whether the defendant can understand the charges and assist in his defense, not his mental condition when the alleged robbery occurred, according to DCD Law’s explanation of California Penal Code Section 1368.
A psychiatrist is expected to issue the competency report in October. If the defendant is found incompetent, the criminal proceedings remain suspended while competency-restoration treatment proceeds, and prosecution cannot resume until competency is restored, according to the same legal explanation.
The firearm enhancement
The firearm enhancement is an allegation attached to the robbery case, not an imposed sentence. California Penal Code Section 12022.53(c) provides for a 20-year consecutive enhancement when a person personally and intentionally discharges a firearm during a qualifying felony. Any eventual sentencing consequence would depend on a conviction and the facts and charges established in the case. The provision is summarized by Eisner Gorin LLP.
