A Santa Barbara judge has given the attorneys for a rapper accused of attempted murder more time to work out a deal before setting the case for trial.
Mario Alberto Hernandez-Pacheco, 30, appeared before Judge James Herman on Wednesday morning in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
During a hearing in early September, Judge Herman said the case would be settled or set for trial at the next hearing. It has been continued twice since.
Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco will appear for another settlement conference on Nov. 20.
He is represented by defense attorneys Adam Pearlman and J’Amiee Oxton. Senior Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Siegel is prosecuting the case.
Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco is charged with attempted murder and second-degree robbery, with enhancements for causing great bodily injury and assault for the benefit of the Eastside street gang, in the stabbing of a minor boy in July 2018. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Aug. 15, 2018 and again on June 26, 2019 after his preliminary hearing.
Testimony during the preliminary hearing alleged Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco participated in an attack on a minor victim when the victim threatened to contact law enforcement after a botched drug deal. The incident allegedly occurred at the Cacique Footbridge in the early morning hours of July 23, 2018.
The victim suffered a 15-centimeter stab wound to the top of his head, a fractured skull, a stab wound to his shoulder and bruises over his chest and arms.
He remains in County Jail custody without bail.
Before his arrest on Aug. 3, 2018, Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco had budding rap career under the stage name Sad Boy Loko. His first viral music video was the 2011 release was “I’m Still Here.” It quickly reached 1 million views on YouTube and has more than 2 million today.
Music videos for his songs “Gang Signs”, “For My Gangstas,” and “Take A Ride,” also have received millions of views and he was featured on YG’s 2016 track Blacks & Browns.
