2 men sentenced for Attempted Murder and Robbery of San Ignacio Ice Vendor

An ice vendor of San Ignacio, who was viciously attacked by two men in September 2010, lived to tell his story in court.  The testimony by forty-five year old Leonardo Velasquez sealed the conviction of nineteen year old Leonel Daly and thirty-six year old Abelino Briceño Junior who were charged with Attempted Murder and Robbery. According to Velasquez, on September twentieth, 2010 at around eleven o’clock p.m., he was sitting under a tree near the Hawkesworth Bridge when he was ambushed by Daly and Briceño. He says he was first stabbed on the left side of the chest and when he turned around, he recognized both assailants. They demanded his money, but he resisted and while he struggled with Briceño, Daly stole twenty-three dollars from his pockets. Velasquez told the court that Briceño stabbed him a second time after which Daly hit him on the head with an unknown object. He fell into the river, but the men continued the assault as he tried to get out of the water. Fearing for his life, Velasquez swam under the bridge and managed to escape to the other side of the river but he soon collapsed. He woke up in the operating theater of the San Ignacio Community Hospital where Dr. Fidel Cuellar performed emergency surgery to save his life. Daly and Briceño were found guilty on April fourth and were back in court this past Wednesday for sentencing. During mitigation, Daly’s foster mother, Nedia Portillo, told the court that he was good person. But Briceño’s character witnesses never showed up in court. Justice Troadio Gonzalez sentenced Daly to twelve years in prison for Attempted Murder and ten years for Robbery while Briceño was sentenced to ten years in jail for each charge. The two year difference for attempted murder is because Daly has been out on bail since 2010 while Briceño was remanded. The sentences are to run concurrently. Both Daly and Briceño have indicated to the court that they will be appealing their conviction and sentences.