A judge will soon decide in coming days whether a man who robbed a local restaurant with a BB gun should go to prison or get probation.

Michael S. Moreno, 19, was due to be sentenced Friday for three counts of robbery in connection with the Jan. 3 robbery at the Taco John’s at 1626 W. 23rd St. But Judge Paula Martin rescheduled the hearing for Thursday to give Moreno’s family and attorney time to find out whether there’s in-patient substance-abuse treatment available for him should he be given probation.

Because he has little criminal history – one misdemeanor theft conviction – he falls in a gray area under Kansas sentencing guidelines in which Martin can send him either to prison or probation. Deputy Dist. Atty. Bob Claus told the judge his office isn’t opposing probation.

Earlier this month, a juvenile co-defendant, 17-year-old Michael J. McDonald, was ordered to probation after entering a plea to one count of aggravated robbery.