Murder charge added in alleged robbery

A man accused in May of second-degree robbery now faces murder and elder abuse charges after the 93-year-old victim of an alleged purse snatching died, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Otto Halafihi, 29, pleaded not guilty to felony charges for murder, elder abuse ending in death and second-degree robbery Tuesday in a Contra Costa County courthouse, according to the district attorney’s office.

He was originally charged with robbery and elder abuse and booked at the Martinez Detention Facility on $340,000 bail.

The murder and elder abuse resulting in death charges were added Tuesday and approved by the judge, said the district attorney’s office, which also noted that Halafihi is facing an additional second-degree robbery charge for a previous incident in Fremont.

On May 21, the Oakland resident allegedly robbed two women, 93 and 64, of their purses at a Bank of America near the Sun Valley Mall in Concord, according to the city’s Police Department.

During the robbery, the older victim, identified as Ann Peterson of Concord, fell to the ground and suffered “significant” injuries, police said.

Three days after the robbery, Halafihi turned himself in at a police substation in Patterson (Stanislaus County) and was subsequently transported back to Contra Costa County, police said.

Since Halafihi’s arrest, Peterson died from her injuries, resulting in the latest charges, according to the amended complaint.

Prosecutors requested Halafihi’s bail be increased to $1.34 million due to the murder charge. The judge will hear the bail motion at 8:30 a.m. July 30 in the Martinez courthouse.

Halafihi remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility.