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| CDC inmates plead guilty in stabbing case |
| By The Times-Standard |
| Published: 08/26/2004 |
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All four of the California Department of Corrections inmates who escaped from a drug-treatment house and were involved in a melee in Cooper Gulch where three teens were stabbed last month entered guilty pleas to various charges in Superior Court Tuesday. John Arthur Bright, 31, originally in prison on charges of disregard for safety, vehicle theft and possession of a controlled substance out of Monterey County, entered a guilty plea to escape and will have 16 months added to his prison term. Javier Zamorano Jr., 21, who was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance out of Santa Cruz County, entered a guilty plea to an assault charge and will have two years added to his sentence. Both Vincent Perez-Martinez, 20, originally convicted of corporal injury to a spouse out of San Bernardino County, and Freddy Arroyo, 24, serving a sentence for transportation/selling of a controlled substance out of San Francisco, entered guilty pleas to assault with a deadly weapon and their cases have been referred to the probation department for sentencing recommendations. Both now have a strike toward the three strikes law and face the possibility of seven years added to their prison terms. A sentencing date was scheduled for Sept. 20. The four pried open a window of a drug-treatment home at N and 10th streets in Eureka and went to Cooper Gulch where they met up with a group of young people partying. The two groups originally got along with each other but a fight soon broke out and Perez-Martinez allegedly stabbed Jasper Rice. Deputy District Attorney Andrew Isaac said Arroyo held and cut Derek McGhee with an "unknown sharp object." Isaac said Zamorano gave "several kicks to the ribs of Mr. Rice" and Bright had nothing to do with the fight. Terry Thornton of the CDC said the drug-treatment program for inmates, which began earlier this year, will continue. Thornton said every prisoner who is currently in the system has had his criteria for being in the program reviewed and that no prisoners were sent back to prison. Neither sex nor violent offenders are eligible for the program. All drug-treatment staff members have been retrained on proper procedures and policies. An individual investigation into Zamorano's eligibility for the program is still ongoing. |
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