A stabbing defendant accepted a plea deal eight days after the offense before DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe on April 23.
Eustasio Valdes, 27, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and robbery while armed for his involvement in a stabbing on the 1200 block of 49th Place, NE on April 15. The victim suffered a laceration to the abdomen.
According to court documents, Valdes approached the victim and pressed a knife up to the abdomen. Valdes reached into the victim’s pocket, grabbed a phone, and fled down an alley. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found Valdes in the alley with the stolen phone and a foldable knife in his possession.
At the hearing, Valdes’ attorney, Joseph Molina pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of a prohibited weapon. In exchange the prosecution agreed not to seek further charges, limit their sentencing request allocution at the bottom of the guidelines, and request the sentences run concurrently.
According to Judge Pipe, the maximum penalty for attempted robbery is three years confinement and for possession of a prohibited weapon is one year.
After finding Valdes understood his rights and what he was giving up for this plea deal, Judge Pipe accepted Valdes’ decision. She found Valdes entered this plea knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily.
The prosecutor said, if the case went to trial they would have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that on the day of the incident, Valdes did possess a knife and attempted to steal a phone from the victim. These actions had no legal justification.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 10.
