Tulare Co. (KMJ) Justice finally caught up with 31‑year‑old Fresno resident Michael Ryan Baker—earning him a four‑year ticket to state prison for robbery.
It all started around 9:30 a.m. on April 25, 2025, when Visalia Police raced to a gas station on Dinuba Boulevard after reports of a bold theft. Baker had swiped $1,000 worth of Pokémon cards—yes, a small fortune in trading cardboard. When confronted, witnesses say he lifted his shirt as if he had a weapon tucked in his waistband, turning a simple theft into a dangerous moment.
He bolted from the store, but employees quickly discovered his getaway car parked right behind the building, trunk wide open like he was loading up for a heist movie. Baker fled—but not for long. Surveillance footage did the talking, and officers arrested him two days later.
Baker pleaded no contest to felony second‑degree robbery—on top of a prior serious robbery conviction from Fresno County in 2016. This time, the court made sure the consequences stuck.
