Yuma man sentenced in knife attack
The 22-year-old Yuma man who stabbed an elderly victim in an unprovoked knife attack earlier this year has received a lengthy prison term.
Superior Court Judge David Haws sentenced Camilo Zantoyo on Wednesday to 12 years in prison with credit for 188 days previously served on one count of aggravated assault involving a dangerous weapon.
Yuma County Attorney Jon Smith said the presumptive sentence for the offense is 7-1/2 years but the judge increased Zantoyo's sentence.
Zantoyo was arrested on April 5 and ordered held on a $1 million bond. He has been in custody ever since, unable to post bail.
According to court records, Zantoyo had been drinking throughout the day of Feb. 25. At some point he left his residence, deciding to take a knife with him. While he was walking along 8th Street, he spotted 74-year-old Jose Ramirez-Pichardo riding his bike near the Speedway Car Wash and stabbed him in the chest.
Ramirez-Pichardo, who rode his bike along the street every day going to various businesses, suffered a life-threatening wound that required significant medical care. He was treated at Yuma Regional Medical Center and later released.
The investigation by Yuma police indicated it was an unprovoked attack.
Zantoyo was arrested in April after Yuma police served a search warrant at his home in regard to the stabbing. He later admitted to the stabbing and was booked into the Yuma County jail on an attempted murder charge and for a misdemeanor warrant.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.
