Man sentenced to life in prison for deadly robbery in Talmadge

A man convicted of fatally shooting a woman during a robbery at a Talmadge apartment complex was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Robert Early Madden, 37, was found guilty by a San Diego Superior Court jury of first-degree murder and a special circumstance allegation of committing the killing during a robbery for the July 15, 2024, slaying of 38-year-old Senait Legesse.

Police said Madden entered a 59-year-old man’s Euclid Avenue apartment that night, brandished a gun and took the man’s wallet.

Madden then shot Legesse when she tried to stop the robbery, according to police. Legesse died at the scene.

Madden was arrested four days later, less than a mile from where the deadly shooting occurred.