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Batalona gets Admitting that he has made wrong choices in his life, convicted bank robber Albert Batalona apologized in court today for everyone who got caught up in the July 1999 bank robbery at American Savings in Kahala.
mandatory life for
Kahala bank heist
He was found guilty of trying
to kill an officer with a
burst of gunfireBy Debra Barayuga
Star-BulletinThe incident has cost him everything of value -- "My family, my life, my son," he said.
But he blamed his abusive childhood and criticized the media and the trial.
And he continued to deny that he tried to shoot police officer Fred Rosskopf, who responded to the robbery.
However, Circuit Judge Marie Milks had no choice but to sentence Batalona, 25, to a mandatory life without the possibility of parole for the attempted murder of the officer.
She also ordered him to serve 20 years each for first-degree robbery and use of a firearm, both with mandatory minimums of 15 years. He also must serve a mandatory five years for use of a prohibited firearm. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Milks also ordered Batalona to pay restitution of $3,654 to a bank employee and $2,590 to a bank customer -- mostly for lost wages and counseling.
Batalona was one of four masked and armed men who stormed the bank and fled with $115,000 cash. More than $100,000 was recovered.
Before Milks sentenced Batalona, she chastised him for blaming others for his predicament, saying, "You're too old to blame everything on your past."
His presentence report portrays a "self-centered individual" who was charged with child abuse, expelled from preschool for beating up another child and abused drugs, she said.
"So before you look at the world and understand its injustice, while you think about the shame and embarrassment, you might start thinking of other people and what you do to them."
The state contends that 30 shots were fired from two AR-15 rifles -- 26 from Batalona's and four from Sean Matsunaga's. Neither weapon was recovered.
Batalona is expected to appeal. Matsunaga, Jacob Hayme and Roger Dailey await sentencing in federal court for bank robbery.