Attorneys for a Santa Barbara rapper accused of attempted murder have one more week to try and work out a deal before the case is set for trial.
On Wednesday, Mario Alberto Hernandez-Pacheco, 30, appeared before for a readiness and settlement hearing Judge James Herman in the Anacapa Division of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
He 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.
Judge Herman set another settlement hearing for Wednesday, with the understanding that the case will either be settled or set for trial at that time.
During a preliminary hearing in July, Santa Barbara Police Department Detective Ryan Aijian testified that at around 12:30 a.m. on July 23, 2018, the minor victim, referred to as A.S. in court documents, called 9-1-1 to report the attack at the Cacique Footbridge.
The victim was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where doctors discovered he 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 claimed that Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco, an unidentified Eastside gang member and two juvenile acquaintances attacked him during a drug deal gone wrong.
Detective Aijian testified A.S. claimed when took the unidentified man to his car to close a marijuana deal, the man brandished a knife and took his backpack, which contained the marijuana and other drugs.
When A.S. threatened to call law enforcement on the group if they did not return his backpack, they attacked him Detective Aijian testified.
Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco was arrested Aug. 3, 2018 at an Old Spanish Days Fiesta Event. The two juveniles were also arrested the next day at their homes. The last suspect has not been identified or arrested.
Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco remains in County Jail custody without bail.
Before his arrest, 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.
