The two men accused of binding and robbing two county residents
in late May had their bail figures lowered at a motion hearing at
the San Benito County Courthouse on Thursday. Judge Steve Sanders
lowered bail amounts for Robert Gidding, 26, and Joaquin McKenzie,
26, from $600,000 to $250,000 during a hearing that also
established two future court dates for the men accused of felony
robbery and other charges in connection with the incident at a home
in the 2200 block of San-Juan Hollister Road.
HOLLISTER
The two men accused of binding and robbing two county residents in late May had their bail figures lowered at a motion hearing at the San Benito County Courthouse on Thursday.
Judge Steve Sanders lowered bail amounts for Robert Gidding, 26, and Joaquin McKenzie, 26, from $600,000 to $250,000 during a hearing that also established two future court dates for the men accused of felony robbery and other charges in connection with the incident at a home in the 2200 block of San-Juan Hollister Road.
Both suspects still remained at the San Benito County Jail as of this morning, according to jail personnel.
On May 31, Gidding and McKenzie are suspected of binding two residents at the home and robbing them. When authorities ran across the subjects incidentally on another road, deputies arrested McKenzie and shortly thereafter, a large, black vehicle began driving at the officers at a rapid pace. Deputies fired around 15 rounds into the vehicle, only to have the driver, Gidding, escape. Later, a Hollister police officer recognized Gidding and arrested him.
Gidding first was charged with attempted murder stemming from the incident with the vehicle, but after investigations by the district attorney’s office and the public defender’s office, the charge was dropped. Gidding’s attorney, Greg LaForge, said at the time “it was our position that the shooting could not have gone down the way it was originally reported by the sheriff’s office.”
Although the attempted murder charges were dropped, Gidding still faces other charges including first-degree residential burglary with two prior convictions, assault on a police officer and conspiracy to commit the home invasion.
McKenzie was charged with the six felonies, along with a special allegation with each count alleging he used a firearm, according to court records.
The next court date for the two is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 1 at the courthouse for a preliminary exam confirmation hearing, with the preliminary exam set for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 15. McKenzie will also have a bail motion hearing Oct. 1.
