Defendants in dating app robbery and murder sentenced. Will they go to prison?
The three defendants involved in the 2019 robbery and murder of a 20-year-old Fresno man won’t be going to prison for their crime, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled Friday.
Judge Brian Alvarez sentenced the three women, Precious Green, 22, of Sioux City, Iowa; Hannah Haywood, 22, also of Sioux City; and Alexa Ramos, 23, of Firebaugh, to prison terms, ranging from two to four years. They were convicted of second-degree robbery.
But the sentences only amount to a “paper commitment,” Alvarez said. That means they have served more time in the Fresno County Jail, waiting for their case to go to trial, then their actual prison sentence.
Despite no prison time, Alvarez did not want the defendants to forget that a man, Tyrel Truss, was killed on Sept. 26, 2019 in a botched robbery attempt.
The three defendants, along with Isaac Ty Helms, concocted a plot to lure someone out to Mendota under the guise of meeting for a date. Truss responded to the phony profile on the app, MeetMe.
The four friends convinced Truss to give them a ride to Firebaugh where he was shot after refusing to give the would-be robbers anything.
“This was not merely a robbery, this led to the death of an individual,” Alvarez said.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office agreed to drop the murder charge against the three women if they agreed to testify, which they did.
Helms was convicted of murder and robbery on April 25. He will be sentenced on June 27 and faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
At her sentencing, Ramos admitted she made a mistake that day and wants to put the incident behind her. Her attorney, Antonio Alvarez, told the judge she’s moved to Texas, has a job and got married.
“I have changed my life around,” she said.
Green, who played a bigger role in planning the robbery and was the owner of the murder weapon, apologized to Truss’ family. She said the events of that day continue to replay in her head.
“I just can’t imagine losing someone like that,” Green said. “I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I do apologize.”
Prosecutor Daniel Walters said Green’s words do mean something to Truss’ family.
“Knowing there is remorse is important to them,” he said.
Green’s attorney Christopher Irwin said that while the facts of the crime resulted in a tragic outcome, the actions of the defendants speaks to their youthfulness and the lack of consideration they had for the consequences of what they did.
Haywood chose not to speak at her sentencing, but her lawyer Jane Boulger said she is still haunted by the shooting. Helms shot Truss while they were all in Truss’ car.
