OC Man Re-Sentenced To Prison In 2008 Movie Theater Stabbing
FULLERTON (CBSLA.com) — A 30-year-old man was re-sentenced to prison Friday for stabbing two movie theater patrons during the showing of a horror film.
According to the Orange County District Attorney's Office, Steven Walter Robinson Jr., of Anaheim, was ordered to spend 22 years to life in state prison.
Around 6 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2008, Robinson purchased a ticket to see the horror movie "The Signal" at the AMC Theatre located in the 1000 block of South Lemon Street in Fullerton.
Officials said he wore dark clothing and sunglasses inside, and appeared agitated and aggressive when he was asked to show his ticket. This prompted the manager to ask security to keep an eye on him.
A security guard observed Robinson carrying a container of alcohol, and asked him to put it in his car. When he returned 10 minutes later, he asked the concession cashier if anyone had seen or turned in a "baggie," however, nothing had been found.
Robinson was asked to leave the theater for a second time, and was issued a refund for his ticket, after he refused to show the same security guard contents that were inside the AMC cup he carried, which was suspected to have alcohol inside.
According to officials, a cashier then reported a bag of hallucinogenic psilocybin mushrooms that were turned into the box office. The manager contacted police, who were then sent to the theater to investigate.
Around 7:20 p.m., a guard noticed Robinson was one of four people watching the movie. When the guard returned to the lobby to inform the manager and officers, he got up from his seat and approached a man -- who was later identified as 38-year-old Julio Sanchez -- while carrying a folded pocket knife.
Robinson stabbed Sanchez five times in his head, arm, chest, and knee. He continued to stab and slash the Sanchez until he was unable to run into the lobby to escape.
Police said Robinson then approached another man -- who was later identified as 65-year-old Eloy Uresti -- and stabbed him in the arm as he tried to protect his face.
As Uresti attempted to crawl away, Robinson followed him and struck him in the head with a hammer-like object. He continued to attack Uresti until officers entered the room.
Sanchez suffered permanent loss of mobility in his arm, and Uresti sustained nerve damage in the attack, officials explained.
Officials said Robinson fled through an exit door, which led into the parking lot.
According to police, Robinson was arrested on March 7, 2008, at his brother's apartment in Las Vegas, Nev., on a $500,000 warrant. He was then brought back to be formally charged in Orange County.
During a search warrant on his home in Anaheim, detectives located several books on the topics of serial killers, and the torture and murder of their victims.
Robinson's home computer also contained MySpace messages that were sent to his friends regarding killing and mass murder. He used the screen name "Psychokiller666."
According to the district attorney's office, Robinson was convicted of two felony counts of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, and two felony counts of mayhem in September 2009. Sentencing enhancements were also found to be true for the personal use of a deadly weapon, and causing great bodily injury.
Robinson was sentenced to spend 22 years to life in prison, however, the sentence was overturned in January 2011 based on instruction error by the judge during juror deliberations.
