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WILKES-BARRE — A Long Island, N.Y., man accused of attacking a mother while she was placing her child into a vehicle waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Luzerne County Central Court.
Francisco Alberto Hernandez, 29, of Roosevelt, remains jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $2 million total bail for separate alleged robberies in Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 16.
City police allege Hernandez grabbed a woman while she was placing a girl in a child safety seat inside a vehicle on Madison Street. Hernandez allegedly grabbed the woman, who fell to the ground and struck her in the head with a handgun.
Hernandez fled with the woman’s purse but dropped his wallet containing his identification, police said.
Police said surveillance cameras in the area recorded Hernandez allegedly running from the scene with the woman’s purse.
After the robbery, police allege Hernandez used the woman’s bank card to purchase cigarettes but was declined at a store on Public Square.
About two hours after the Madison Street robbery, police said Hernandez approached a man from behind and placed a gun into his back while demanding cash at East Market Street and Public Square. When the man said he had no money, Hernandez allegedly said he “would put a cap in him.”
Hernandez fled that initiated a massive police canvass in the downtown area. He was apprehended in a parking lot near South Wilkes-Barre Boulevard and Northampton Street.
Police said Hernandez was carrying a plastic shopping bag that contained the woman’s bank cards, a pellet gun, cigarettes and a small amount of marijuana.
During Thursday’s proceeding before District Judge Thomas Malloy, Hernandez waived four counts of access device fraud, two counts each of terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person, and one count each of robbery, theft and simple assault.
Prosecutors withdrew a second robbery count and an aggravated assault charge against Hernandez.
A district judge after a preliminary hearing on Oct. 10 for the Public Square and East Market Street incident forwarded charges of robbery and terroristic threats against Hernandez to county court.