READING, Pa. (AP) - A man whose attempted robbery of a taxi driver was thwarted by a sheriff's deputy who happened to be nearby has pleaded guilty and repeatedly apologized to the victim.

Nineteen-year-old Victor Martinez-Herrera pleaded guilty to robbery Monday in Berks County Court and was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison.Prosecutors said he got into the cab in Reading on March 7 wearing a mask and hood and put a gun to the driver's head while demanding money.When the cab remained stopped even though the light had turned green, the county deputy approached, saw what was happening and drew his gun, arresting the suspect.Martinez-Herrera said in court that he was under the influence of drugs and wanted to apologize "from the bottom of my heart."