Bloomington auto shop robbery gets defendant 48 months

Vincent Solarez, convicted of robbing a Bloomington mechanic and his wife March 12, 2024, was sentenced to four years in federal prison on July 7. Solarez pleaded not guilty on all counts, and was convicted on June 2. He appealed his conviction on June 5.

Prosecutors claimed Solarez served as lookout to three co-defendants that invaded the mechanic’s shop at 3 a.m., March 12. The couple slept in the same building as the shop. The affidavit alleges that the robbers pistol-whipped the mechanic in the head, giving him injuries that required 10 staples to fix. It also alleges that the robbers stole $12,500 in cash, the security footage and the mechanic’s car, and threatened to murder the victims if they called law enforcement.

In a sentencing memorandum, Solarez’s attorney argued that the evidence did not show Solarez knew about the other co-defendant’s intent.

“The evidence did not show that Mr. Solarez knew that his co-defendants were intending to commit a robbery, or car jacking, or that there were even ‘victims’ with the MGAR repair shop. There was no evidence to show that he surveilled the business before the offense occurred. It cannot be found that he knew there were people sleeping within the business,” the memorandum reads. 

Two weeks after the robbery, law enforcement found the mechanic’s car by co-defendant Marcos Guerrero’s residence, according to the affidavit. Solarez was in the co-pilot’s seat. 

While in jail, Guerrero made recorded calls that incriminated him, the affidavit said. He called one person, asking her to check if his Levi’s and Dickies were at his house, “cause those are the things I was f—...whatever…you know?” He told Solarez “they showed me a picture of me and another guy,” after being shown a photo of the robbers. He later told Solarez, “the main point is this, ok, the victims called the authorities and the deputies from the Fontana Sheriff’s Station began their investigation. So that’s where I’m at all the way around. So that’s what’s up.” According to the affidavit, Guerrero was instructing Solarez to visit the victim.

The defendants were convicted by jury on all counts Jan. 22. Solarez, Guerrero, Elijah Gafare and Cinthia Leal were all convicted of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery and carjacking. Guerrero, Gafare and Leal were convicted on additional counts of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime and witness tampering. Guerrero had a final additional count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The co-defendants are not yet sentenced.