LAKE COUNTY — Three out of five young men arrested for the March 16 stabbing Lakeport resident Alex Larranaga were sentenced to nine years in jail and ordered to pay restitution Monday after they plead guilty July 24 to felony assault with special gang allegations.
Mathew Domeier and Juan Yepez of Lakeport, minors at the time of the attack, were tried as adults after an April 30 hearing found them unfit to be handled in the juvenile court system. A third minor, whose name could not be released, and two adults made a total of five arrested for the attack, which took place in full view of patrons at Lakeport”s TNT On The Lake restaurant adjoining Library Park.
The third suspect sentenced is 19-year-old Elias Hernandez, also of Lakeport. All three plead guilty to felony assault “likely to cause great bodily injury and admitted a special allegation that the offense was committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang with the specific intent to promote criminal conduct by gang members,” according to a Tuesday press release from the Lake County District Attorney”s Office.
The release details the events of the stabbing, saying several gang members who lived at Willow Point Resort next to the park approached Larranaga flashing gang signs and jumped him as he was leaving TNT On The Lake with his family.
Larranaga was repeatedly kicked, punched and stabbed, leaving him wheelchair-bound and in need of long-term rehabilitation, according to Hinchcliff.
All five of the young men arrested were identified as documented gang members of a local Sureno gang known as the South Side Willow Pointers. They were sentenced to nine years in prison and will be required to register with law enforcement as gang members, and to pay restitution to the victim.
DDA Richard Hinchcliff explained that the amount of that restitution is not yet known because Larranaga”s medical expenses are ongoing.
The original charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder were dropped for the three sentenced Monday. “That was the appropriate disposition because of the factual circumstances, for those three,” said Hinchcliff when asked why the attempted murder and conspiracy charges were dropped.
He said he wouldn”t comment any further in order to protect the integrity of the case against the other adult suspect, Lakeport 18-year-old Ricardo Muniz.
Lakeport Chief of Police Kevin Burke told the Record-Bee in a March 19 interview that it was Muniz who was charged with the actual stabbing. Burke noted that all five aided and were charged equally.
Muniz is slated for a preliminary hearing Sept. 5 in the Lake County courthouse at 9 a.m. in downtown Lakeport.
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