CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pedro Chinchilla was 18 years old when police locked him up for a string of robberies last year.
Channel 9 learned Tuesday afternoon that Chinchilla will be 31 years old before he gets out of prison.
He took a plea deal in a Mecklenburg County courthouse.
Chinchilla had no prior criminal record, but in just a few days in July of last year, he and three others terrorized people in Charlotte's Hispanic community.
Police arrest 4 people, including 1 juvenile, accused of robbing Hispanics
Some of the victims were in court to see the man they feared led off to prison.
The judge asked Chinchilla if he understood the charges against him.
Several people were in court who said Chinchilla and three others robbed them at gunpoint.
It was their eyewitness accounts that led to his arrest.
"There was one shot fired into the air and the victims were told not to move at the suspects ran off," prosecutor Todd Neal said.
Some robberies happened minutes apart across Charlotte.
The victims gave the same description of Chinchilla, which led to his arrest.
Chinchilla also shot a man during one of the robberies.
The victim survived.
Victims also gave descriptions of the other suspects, Joshua Salvado-Gil, Christian Salmeron and a 15-year-old.
Salmeron pleaded guilty in March and was sentenced to four years in prison.
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