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Two guilty in stabbing
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Two brothers who participated in an attack that seriously injured a Fredericksburg man were convicted of felony charges Thursday.
Jose Maldonado, 28, was convicted in Fredericksburg Circuit Court of malicious wounding and assault and battery by mob.
Ismael Maldonado, 38, was found guilty of aggravated malicious wounding and as sault and battery by mob.
The Maldonados and a third man, Francisco Dareo–Martinez, brutally attacked 35-year-old Ever Contreras during a dispute that began on Sept. 9 as Contreras was walking on Roffman Road in the neighborhood formerly known as Bragg Hill.
Dareo–Martinez has already been found guilty of aggravated malicious wounding. A sentencing date for the three defendants had not been set as of Thursday.
According to prosecutor Travis Bird, Contreras was walking with a friend when the three defendants began teasing him about his clothes and the way he walked.
During an ensuing scuffle, Jose Maldonado was hit in the head with a beer bottle.
Contreras then ran toward his nearby home and his friend ran in the opposite direction, Bird said.
The suspects chased Con treras around the Central Park Townhomes and caught up with him in his back yard.
Dareo–Martinez beat him with a pool stick and Jose Maldonado stabbed him at least six times while his brother held him.
One of them finally said “let’s go, he’s dead” in Spanish, according to the evidence, and Contreras was left on the ground bleeding.
His wife and several others witnessed the attack.
Contreras suffered a punc tured lung and other injuries and spent 11 days in inten sive care at Mary Washing ton Hospital. Bird said he remains unable to work a full day.
Aggravated malicious wounding carries a maxi mum penalty of life in prison, but Bird has agreed to seek no more than 15 years for Jose Maldonado.
Jose Maldonado’s attor ney, Tim Barbrow, said there is another side to the story but said he will wait until sentencing to present it.
Dareo–Martinez was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, but attorney Kristy Kane had the hearing postponed so he can be sentenced with the others.
All three defendants are in the country illegally and face possible deportation, their lawyers told the judge.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2013/03/21/two-guilty-in-stabbing/
