After prelim, Vallejo couple to be arraigned on fatal robbery charges

After a Feb. 19 preliminary hearing, a Solano County Superior Court judge scheduled a held-toanswer arraignment for a Vallejo couple accused of a 2018 robbery-murder in Vallejo.

Judge Tim Kam, determining there was enough evidence to hold the defendants for trial, ordered Devonte Levan Hicks, 25, and Jessica Marie McCraven, 34, to appear for the arraignment at 8:30 a.m. March 15 in Department 7 in the Justice Building in Vallejo. During the hearing, the judge likely will set a jury trial date, among other proceedings.

The case has been subject to a series of delays in recent past months, in part due to reduced court operations and state and county public health directives amid the pandemic.

Hicks is represented by criminal defense attorney Thomas Maas of Fairfield. McCraven is represented by criminal defense attorney Laura Petty, also of Fairfield.

Hicks and McCraven are being held without bail in Solano County Jail in connection with the Aug. 20 killing of a man found unresponsive in a hotel room on Enterprise Drive.

Besides first-degree murder, they are charged with robbery during the commission of a murder, a special circumstances enhancement.

Additionally, Hicks was initially charged with possession of a firearm, possession of prohibited ammunition, presenting a false ID to a police officer, and felony probation violations.

Besides the main charge, McCraven initially was charged with three counts of identity theft, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with an invalid license, two counts of check forgery, and burglary.

The Solano County District Attorney filed its complaint against the pair on Aug. 24, 2018.

If found guilty of the first-degree murder charge with the robbery enhancement, Hicks and McCraven may face life in prison without the possibility of parole.