Starbucks robbery suspect may only serve half the time

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Ryan Flores was sentenced to four years in prison and he may only have to serve half of that by the time he is eligible for probation.

The mother of Ryan Flores says their families lives have forever changed since he walked into a Fresno Starbucks back in July and tried to convince the court he needs to be in sober living to get the help he needs rather than being locked up.

"My son is not a criminal, he is now, he's a felon now, but he's not a thug he doesn't live the thug life he even said to the barista several times in not here to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you."

She believes he is ready to turn his life around, blaming the attempted robbery on his addiction and being heavily medicated that day.

"In the beginning, he didn't want any help. He didn't want to go in a program. He didn't need anybody's help--he didn't have a problem, now today he understands he has a problem."

His mother also says he is remorseful and did not mean to hurt anyone when he tried to rob the popular coffee chain with a knife and fake gun before being stopped and injured by Good Samaritan Cregg Jerri.

Flores' attorney asked the court to consider factors like his addiction and needing money to feed his two and a half-year-old son.

The defendant is facing fewer years in prison once a jury found he did not cause great bodily injury after stabbing the man who stepped in to stop the Starbucks robbery.

The judge also said he is lucky the gun he used was fake, otherwise they would not be talking about probation at all.

Now, Flores will have the chance of parole at half of his sentence of four years.

"His court cannot take someone who goes into a Starbucks with a fake gun and a very dangerous knife threatens a young woman at the counter who most certainly when she got her job as a barista did not expect to be held up at gunpoint or knifepoint, and then ends up in a tussle and nearly kills the person who intervenes to stop it."

The judge says he thinks he will be eligible for parole in 2019.