GREELEY, Colo. — A 28-year-old Greeley man was sentenced to 21 years in prison for stabbing another man outside of a convenience store.
Margarito Rodriguez pleaded guilty to first degree assault, for the stabbing of a 72-year old man outside of the 7-Eleven store located at 1401 9th St in Greeley, according to a release from the Weld County District Attorney's Office.
>Video above: How to report tips to Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers (and how it works)
On the morning of June 29, 2020, the victim was in the parking lot of the store, talking to another man, when Rodriguez stabbed him in the neck and chest, the DA said.
Rodriguez left the scene and was found in a nearby backyard, where he was breathing heavily and sweating as if he had just been running, the release said.
When officers approached Rodriguez, they saw what appeared to be blood on his shirt, according to the DA. Rodriguez initially told officers that the blood was from a paper cut, the release said.
Investigators believe that this was a random act of violence.
Rodriguez was sentenced to 21 years for a first degree assault charge and five years for a second degree assault charge, for punching a Weld County Sheriff's Office corrections officer at the jail, the DA said.
These two sentences will be served concurrently, according to the DA's office.
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