San Diego

A transient was convicted Tuesday of 53 charges in connection with the “walk-to-the-back” robberies.

Paul Bresney, 39, was acquitted of one robbery count and had two other charges dismissed after a San Diego Superior Court jury deadlocked 11n to 1 on them.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Dusek said Bresney could be given a maximum of 62 years, 4 months in state prison when he is sentenced Nov. 20 by Judge David Gill.

The robbery series was dubbed “walk to the back” by police because the gunman often told employees of small businesses to go to the back of the store while he rifled the cash register.

Mostly small stores throughout the county were hit in the series, which began Dec. 11, 1988, and ended with Bresney’s arrest in North Park in April, 1989.

The jury, which began deliberations Oct. 9, found Bresney guilty of committing 51 hold-ups and of attempting to rob two stores in which a safe could not be opened.