Grandmother Accepts Plea Bargain in Holdup

Mary Ruth Blanco, a 71-year-old West Covina woman charged with the botched armed robbery of a gas station to help pay her taxes, has accepted a plea bargain offer from prosecutors and hopes a judge will approve it, her attorney said Wednesday.

In a move that could mean she avoids time behind bars, the district attorney’s office has offered to drop a special circumstances charge of using a gun, said Steve Angelo, her nephew and a family spokesman. If convicted on such a charge, Blanco would face a minimum of four years in prison under state law, authorities said.

Because prosecutors would not comment on the plea agreement, it could not be determined what concessions Blanco is willing to make.

A Pomona Superior Court judge on Wednesday said he would not accept the plea agreement until another hearing on July 26 to determine what the victim thinks about the agreement, which was not revealed in court. West Covina gas station clerk Rafael Chavez has testified that Blanco demanded money while brandishing a gun on May 4. When he refused to hand over money, the woman drove away and he jotted down the license number.

Deputy Dist. Atty. James Belna, who is handling the case, could not be reached for comment. But a spokeswoman for the district attorney has previously said it is unlikely Blanco will serve prison time.