1 of 2 thong-facemask robbery suspects sentenced

[February 18, 2009]  DENVER (AP) -- One of two Colorado men who used women's thong underwear to cover their faces while they robbed a convenience store has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Twenty-year-old Joaquin Rico was sentenced Tuesday. He and 25-year-old Joseph Richard Espinoza pleaded guilty to the May 15 robbery.

Prosecutors say the pair threw a large rock through the store's window at 5 a.m., soon after the clerk opened the store.

One man wore a green thong; the other wore blue.

Prosecutors say Rico grabbed the store's clerk by the neck and punched her in the face several times, breaking her jaw. He then collected about $100 from the cash registers, while Espinoza stole 37 packs of cigarettes.

Espinoza's sentencing is scheduled for Monday.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com/

[Associated Press]

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