An alleged gang member has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for a carjacking and armed robbery in Mesa.
Maricopa County prosecutors say 33-year-old Jasper Jay Stewart committed the crimes while on probation for four previous offenses ranging from drug possession to credit card theft.
Stewart was accused of carjacking an SUV from a woman in Mesa on Sept. 7. Police found the vehicle less than three miles away and arrested Stewart based on a description provided by the victim.
Mesa police say they later connected Stewart to an armed robbery Aug. 28 at a Mesa coffee shop. A woman says a man stole her cash, credit cards and cellphone.
Stewart later pleaded guilty to robbery, armed robbery, theft of means of transportation and trafficking in stolen property.
