A judge ordered a man to serve 30 years in prison for robbing a woman at gunpoint at an ATM, and ordered another 10 sentence for unlawful possession of the weapon. Watch video
Acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park announced that a man received a 40-year prison term for the armed robbery of a woman as she stood at an ATM. (NJ Advance Media file photo)ELIZABETH -- On a winter night, almost exactly four years ago, a woman completed a driving lesson and was dropped off at a bank ATM in Elizabeth so she could get cash to pay the instructor.
As she stood there, a man rushed up, pulled out a gun and robbed the woman of $300.
Last week, 46-year-old Ricky Hawkins, the man convicted of robbing the woman, was sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said in a statement.
Superior Court Judge Regina Caulfield ordered Hawkins to serve 30 years for the robbery and serve 10 years for weapons charges, with the two sentences to be served consecutively, Park said.
She said Caulfield sentenced Hawkins to an extended prison term because of his prior convictions.
At about 8 p.m. on Jan. 4 2012, the victim had just completed a driving lesson when she was dropped off at Newark Avenue in Elizabeth so she could get cash to pay her driving instructor, said Union County Assistant Prosecutors Peter Benza and Christopher DeSimone, who prosecuted the case.
Hawkins rushed up, pulled out a handgun, grabbed the $100 she had just withdrawn, then forced her to get another $200 from the ATM, Benza said.
Hawkins then fled, but Elizabeth police subsequently arrested him for the robbery, authorities said.
Last October, a jury convicted Hawkins of the robbery and four weapons offenses, Park said.
She said Hawkins must serve at least 85 percent of the 30-year sentence for robbery and at least 5 years of the 10-year weapons offense sentence before he will be eligible for parole.
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