April 22, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Man sentenced in robbery, sexual assault at Nordstrom Rack in Westchester

(Thinkstock: Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
(Thinkstock: Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

A man who sexually assaulted an employee during a takeover robbery at a Nordstrom Rack in Westchester, where some workers were ordered to strip down to their underwear, was sentenced Wednesday to 193 years to life in prison.

Raymond Sherman Jr., 36, of Los Angeles, was convicted last month of one count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and kidnapping to commit another crime, along with 14 counts of second-degree robbery.

Jurors acquitted him on another rape charge involving the same victim.

Co-defendants Troy Marsay Hammock, 31, and Everett Oneal Allen, 26, both of Los Angeles, were convicted of 14 counts of second-degree robbery. Allen was also found guilty of one count of assault with a deadly weapon with a knife.

Hammock was sentenced today to 41 years in prison, while Allen was given 37 years by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen.

In her closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Barnes told the jury that the three men were “equally guilty” of the Jan. 10, 2013, robbery, which occurred as employees were leaving the store.

“Every one of them was terrified,” Barnes said of the employees, who were shown on surveillance videotape being led down a back hallway during the robbery at the store on the second floor of The Promenade.

Sherman — who had worked at the store years earlier — was the first one to go inside and was “probably the mastermind,” Barnes said.

Sherman raped and sexually assaulted one woman after separating her from the rest of the employees, most of whom had been ordered to “strip down to their underwear,” the prosecutor said.

Testifying in his own defense, Sherman acknowledged that he was involved in the robbery and was armed with a gun when he went into the store, but he claimed that the sexually assaulted victim was in on the plan so she could file a civil lawsuit.

He told jurors that the woman was the one who initiated oral sex and that he went along with it because he thought police had been called and that he would be going to jail.

“It wasn’t a rape,” he told jurors. “I would never rape anyone.”

Sherman testified that he was with two other men during the robbery and maintained that they were not Hammock and Allen. He told jurors that Allen is his brother.

Sherman’s attorney, Arthur Lindars, acknowledged that his client told police about 40 hours later that he had been involved in the robbery. But the defense attorney questioned the testimony of the sexual assault victim.

Hammock’s attorney, Lori A. Harris, said her client had “no connection” to the robbery other than being near the getaway vehicle hours after the heist.

“The prosecution hasn’t proved to you that Mr. Hammock was part of it,” she told the jury.

Allen’s attorney, Rodney Buck, also urged jurors to acquit his client.

Sherman, Hammock and Allen were arrested by Los Angeles police within a few days of the robbery, with Sherman being brought back from Phoenix, Arizona, where he was taken into custody. The three have remained in jail since then.

The employees were rescued by an LAPD SWAT team after one of the workers was able to call a relative, who notified authorities.

Related Posts

Pepper Spray and Panic: LA Homeowners Targeted in Nighttime Burglaries

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

LAPD Hunts Suspects After One Resident Attacked in Beverly Grove Two separate home invasions late Friday night in Beverly Grove...

“We’re Better Than This”: Tour Business Owner Pleads for Protection After Third Burglary

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Thieves hit Again, Stealing E-Bikes and Leaving a Wake of Damage in South La Cienega The frustrated owner of a...

Lawsuits Allege Insurance Giants Conspired to Undercut California Fire Victims

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Two Lawsuits Accuse Top Carriers of Price-Fixing and Violating Antitrust Laws Attorneys representing homeowners impacted by California’s January wildfires have...

Cali Camp Welcomes Los Angeles Campers

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

By Susan Payne Roam streams, meadows and oak trees in the heart of rock-lined Topanga Canyon this summer at Cali...

Culver City Closes Streets for Earth Day to Encourage Green School Commutes

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Pedal, Walk, or Roll: Culver City Schools Go Car-Free for Earth Day Culver City is taking its Earth Day celebration...

Mayor Karen Bass’ Budget Plan Proposes 1,647 Layoffs Amid $300M Liability Surge

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Civilian LAPD Staff, Transportation, and Sanitation Departments Among Hardest Hit Mayor Karen Bass’ proposed city budget for the upcoming fiscal...

Santa Monica PD Makes Arrest in Ocean Front Walk Stabbing; Second Suspect Sought

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Late-Night Stabbing in Santa Monica Prompts Manhunt After a shocking incident of violence in Santa Monica, a man has been...

ALPR Alerts Lead Culver City Police to Two Stolen Vehicles in Two Hours

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Rapid-Response Tech Aids in Back-To-Back Arrests on Sepulveda Culver City police officers recovered two stolen vehicles within a two-hour period...

Registration is Open for Harvard-Westlake Summer Programs

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

By Susan Payne Summer programs at Harvard-Westlake are open for registration.  Participants can experience renowned programs in academics, visual arts,...

Los Angeles City Attorney Sues Over Illegal Rentals, Wildfire Price Gouging

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

City Attorney Seeks Permanent Ban and Millions in Penalties for Operators City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto has filed a civil...

Culver City Moves the Needle on Housing and Growth in Monthly Pipeline Update

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Monthly Development Report Shows Increase in Affordable Housing Culver City officials have released the latest updates to their Residential and...

Multi-Concept Asian Restaurant Coming to Prime Sunset Strip Corner

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Round 1 Delicious Inks Lease for Asian Dining Concept in WeHo West Hollywood will be the location for a high-end...

Hollywood Legend Raquel Welch’s Former Home Changes Hands in Beverly Glen

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

The Late Actress’s Longtime Residence Sold for $3.1 Million More than two years after Raquel Welch’s passing, the late actress’s...

Heads-Up, Westside: Downtown Santa Monica Traffic to Increase with Pali High Move

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Santa Monica Braces for School Traffic Surge Following Wildfire Displacement Drivers throughout Westside communities, from Brentwood to Pacific Palisades, should...

Rents Stay Stable, but Economic Shifts Threaten the Balance

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Tariffs and Tight Supply Could End Flat Rent Streak After more than a year of minimal fluctuation, asking rents, or...