Deputy D.A.’s Son Faces Heist Charges Again

A deputy district attorney’s son, who served nearly two years in prison after he admitted robbing eight banks, was indicted Wednesday on charges that he robbed three San Diego banks last month.

John Mark Hewicker III, 25, netted about $2,700 from the robberies, during which he used an air pistol that looked like an automatic pistol, according to the indictment returned by a federal grand jury. At the time of Hewicker’s arrest, FBI agents said they believed he had used a real gun.

Hewicker was arrested last week during a regularly scheduled visit with his probation officer, according to Maria Arroyo, an assistant U.S. attorney. He began serving five years of probation after he was paroled from federal prison in May, 1987.

Became Suspicious

FBI agents became suspicious of Hewicker last month after a witness reported the license plate of the getaway car used in one of the robberies. The plate number was traced to a car belonging to Hewicker’s sister, Arroyo said.

The indictment charges Hewicker with three counts of robbery for holding up employees at a branch of Home Federal Savings & Loan Association on Pearl Street in La Jolla, the Flagship Federal Savings Bank on Governor Drive in University City, and the City National Bank on Via La Jolla Drive in La Jolla.

Hewicker is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear this morning before U.S. Magistrate Roger Curtis McKee.

Arroyo said Hewicker’s four-year sentence for the previous robberies was reduced to three years. In all, he served 23 months in prison before being paroled.

Paid for Cocaine

Although Hewicker admitted in 1985 that he had robbed eight banks, he pleaded guilty to only two of the counts and the others were dropped. Hewicker confessed that he robbed banks to pay for his cocaine habit. No weapons were used in those incidents and no one was injured. Investigators said Hewicker committed the robberies by walking up to tellers and demanding money.

At the time, Hewicker’s lawyer, Ramon Castro, argued that Hewicker turned to alcohol and drugs because he could not live up to the expectations of his father, Deputy Dist. Atty. John M. Hewicker II.

Hewicker now faces maximum penalties of 75 years in prison and a $750,000 fine.