From the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office:

Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming announced that today 41-year-old Barbara Jones of Eureka pled guilty to robbery, admitted the use of a knife and admitted she had a prior “strike” conviction for robbery from 2008. Judge Feeney sentenced her to 7 years in prison.

On July 13, 2017, an employee of a store in Old Town Eureka observed Jones trying to steal clothing. When the employee approached, Jones pulled a knife and told her to “back up.” The store employee did so and Jones then fled with the property. The store employee notified the Eureka Police Department (EPD) of the incident and the Department broadcast a description of the robber. Within an hour a probation officer observed a woman who matched that description; EPD responded to his call and took Jones into custody after Jones was identified by the store employee.

Theft of property worth less than $950 is a misdemeanor charge that may result in local jail time. But use of force or fear in taking property is robbery, a felony that can lead to a prison term of 2 to 5 years. Additional factors such as use of a knife and prior convictions can lengthen the sentence.