San Diego Bank Robbery Leader Sentenced Nearly 500 Years

Larry Lightning Jr., 45, was sentenced to nearly 500 years to life in state prison for leading a violent bank robbery crew responsible for stealing nearly $400,000 across four San Diego County banks between 2019 and 2022. During these armed robberies, Lightning and his crew assaulted bank employees, with Lightning himself threatening and physically abusing victims to force them into vaults and open safes. The crew targeted banks near freeways to facilitate quick escapes using stolen vehicles, and Lightning's DNA was found on the driver's seat of one such vehicle, leading to his arrest in 2023. Convicted on more than two dozen felony counts including kidnapping, assault with a firearm, robbery, and auto theft, Lightning's sentence was amplified by prior convictions under California's Three Strikes Law. Despite defense claims of circumstantial evidence, the judge described the case as one of the strongest seen and condemned Lightning for the terror inflicted on victims, who testified about fearing for their lives. The extensive investigation involved FBI agents and multiple surveillance efforts, ultimately resulting in Lightning's conviction and sentence of 488 years and eight months to life.