Man Pleads Guilty to Stabbing Sister In Face, Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

INDIO (CNS) – A Desert Hot Springs man who stabbed his sister in the face pleaded guilty to two felony charges Monday and was immediately sentenced to eight years in prison.

Juan Angel Lopez, 41, pleaded guilty to one felony count each of aggravated mayhem and mayhem, according to court records.

Lopez attacked his then-35-year-old sister Jessica Lopez on Dec. 7, 2017, at a transient camp in the 67200 block of Hacienda Avenue in Desert Hot Springs after the two had argued on and off throughout the day, according to an arrest warrant declaration filed by Desert Hot Springs police officer T. Chapman. He approached her while she was talking to someone and stabbed her in the face with a knife, according to the document.

Chapman said Lopez sent several text messages to one of the witnesses that indicated he was heading to the area to stab his sister.

Lopez was originally charged in early 2018 with attempted murder, mayhem and several sentence enhancements for causing great bodily injury, but a judge dismissed the attempted murder charge Jan. 22, 2019, after a preliminary hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

The nature of the argument between Lopez and his sister was not detailed in the warrant, nor was the severity of her injuries.

The sister, as well as other witnesses, positively identified Lopez as the suspect, according to the declaration.

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