Court briefs

A preliminary hearing was postponed Monday for the 47-year-old body remover accused of trying to murder his estranged girlfriend by driving off the road.

Robin Aponte, who remains in custody on no-bail status, is charged with attempted murder, causing great bodily injury, felony drunk driving, violating a court order three times, stalking and making felony threats.

His defense attorney asked for a delay to Monday’s scheduled hearing to allow more time to review evidence.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Aponte and the woman dated for three years before she moved to Nevada in March. The woman told police he was always jealous and in April told her by phone that he would kill her, himself and her two grown children if they weren’t together.

She relocated back to San Carlos and sought a restraining order after Aponte bought her a car and left it with flowers and a message outside her home. On April 21, she agreed to meet him to finalize the breakup and receive several thousand dollars he owed her. During lunch in San Francisco, he reportedly drank heavily and told the woman while driving back, "If I can’t love you know one can.” Aponte drove the car off Interstate 280, causing the woman to break her back.

Aponte pleaded not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he faces up to 16 years in prison.

Aponte owns a body removal service that contracted with the county Coroner’s Office. The office terminated the agreement after Aponte’s arrest.

Airline ticket agent convicted of theft

An airline ticket agent is currently accused of embezzling $440,000 from China Airlines by selling flights but not forwarding payment to the company was convicted of attempted grand theft.

The jury also found Jai Verma, 49, guilty of taking property exceeding $150,000 in the commission of a felony. Following the verdict, Verma’s bail was raised from $50,000 to $1 million and he was taken into custody. He returns to court July 21 for sentencing.

Verma, according to the District Attorney’s Office, sold airline tickets between October 2001 and March 2003 but failed to give the money to China Airlines.

Competency questioned for alleged Bingo thief

Trial for two men arrested in connection with the armed robbery of two South San Francisco pedestrians and the takeover robbery of the Boys and Girls Club on bingo night has been postponed while court-appointed doctors determine if one is competent.

After a defense attorney questioned the ability of Curtis Commo, 24, to stand trial, criminal proceedings were suspended. Co-defendant Saolepea Jean Liu, 24, was ordered back to court today to pick a new jury trial on five counts of first-degree robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm and receiving stolen property. On that date, two doctors will also be appointed to evaluate Commo.

According to prosecutors, on Nov. 6, the men broke into the Boys and Girls Club at 201 W. Orange Ave. and shoved three custodians into a closet. The suspects robbed one worker as they cleaned up after a bingo game, according to police.

The men were charged with both crimes after a routine traffic stop Nov. 11 turned up a gun used in the robberies and a cell phone from the first crime. Police then linked them to a Nov. 2 robbery of two men walking down the street.

Both men remain in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail.<