Rohnert Park Man Sentenced fo Prison for 23 Years for Multiple Robbery Convictions

Defendant Selso Orozco, 38 years old of Rohnert Park, was sentenced Thursday by the Honorable Peter Ottenweller to 23 years in state prison after having pled no contest in April of this year to four counts of armed robbery that he committed over a three-day period in October 2018. Orozco was also convicted of a special allegation for his use of a handgun during the commission of these crimes.

District Attorney Ravitch stated, “This defendant put many lives in danger during the course of violent acts. Thankfully he was quickly apprehended and brought to justice.”  

Orozco robbed his first victim at gunpoint during the early evening hours of October 13, 2018 as the victim was eating dinner in his vehicle in Santa Rosa. Orozco aimed his loaded handgun at the victim and demanded the victim’s phone and money. The following day on October 14, 2018, Orozco robbed a victim at gunpoint after the victim withdrew cash from an ATM machine in Santa Rosa. The victim’s wife and daughter watched in shock as the robbery unfolded before their eyes. A few short hours later, Orozco robbed a family of four that had just spent an afternoon shopping at the Northgate Mall in San Rafael. As that couple loaded their two young children into the car, Orozco approached them and aimed his firearm at the husband and wife, demanding their phones and money. Orozco waited a day before committing his fourth and final robbery on October 15, 2018. During that robbery, Orozco targeted a young couple walking on a sidewalk near downtown San Rafael.   

During all four robberies, Orozco disguised himself with a mask and was armed with a loaded semi-automatic handgun. The Santa Rosa Police Department was able to identify Orozco through a collaborative investigation with the San Rafael Police Department. SRPD officers arrested Orozco on October 16, 2018 as he drove away from his residence in Rohnert Park. His loaded handgun, mask, and personal property belonging to various victims were found in the car. Fortunately, Orozco was apprehended by law enforcement before terrorizing additional victims.  

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Matthew Henning, and the Santa Rosa Police Department and San Rafael Police Department headed the investigations.