The sentencing of two men convicted of assault with a deadly weapon has been delayed until July 2.
During a sentencing hearing Friday, Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Thomas R. Adams accepted requests by defense attorneys Neil Levinson and Jennifer Archer for a delay to provide them more time to review Santa Barbara County Probation Department reports containing recommended sentences for their respective clients, Daniel Medina and Juan Rios.
“In a serious case like this it’s better to get this right than to rush with sentencing,” he said.
Mr. Medina, 23 at the time the crime was committed, and Mr. Rios, 21 at the time, were arrested in February 2018 following an altercation on the 600 block of State Street.
During the incident, a man and his niece were assaulted by a group of gang members at a local bar after an argument broke out between them. Mr. Medina and Mr. Rios were among the gang members and one of them punched the woman in the face and then attacked the man. Two nearby men tried to help the victims and caused Mr. Medina and Mr. Rios to flee, but the original male victim and the two assisting men suffered multiple stab wounds.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Hans Almgren said Mr. Medina and Mr. Rios were convicted April 25 of assault with a deadly weapon with gang enhancements. In a separate proceeding, Mr. Medina admitted a prior strike conviction from 2017, being an active participant in the Eastside Criminal Street Gang.
The maximum sentence that could be imposed on Mr. Medina is 18 years in state prison, while Mr. Rios faces nine years in state prison. The July 2 sentencing will take place at 9 a.m.
