A convicted felon with a history of violence has been given 20 years in prison for slitting another man’s throat.
The man, Abel Torres, 31, entered a no-contest plea before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to charges of attempted murder and carjacking. He was directed to serve 20 years in prison at 85 percent, meaning he will not become eligible for parole until serving 17 years behind bars. In addition to the 20 years, he still owes the state four years on a prior conviction involving a violent crime, making his effective sentence 24 years.
Torres’ prison time comes for slicing the throat of Jared Hendrixson as the two were passengers in a moving car on Pike Hill Road. Torres, who was sitting in the backseat, leaned up and reached around, slashing the throat of Hendrixson in the front seat. The two had bad blood leading up to the cutting, although the immediate trigger for the assault was never revealed.
After the cutting, the driver of the vehicle slammed on his brakes and abandoned his car, fearing he might be next. The victim fell into the road, clutching his throat.
Torres then took over the wheel and tried to run down Hendrixson. Torres fled the scene in the car and later abandoned the stolen vehicle under a bridge on Yager Road as it rolled into a creek. He was caught a short time later by pursuing officers. Hendrixson recovered from his injuries.
The incident is not the first time Torres has tried to kill someone. Back in 1999, a 16-year-old Torres shot a female clerk with a high-powered rifle during a botched robbery attempt at Pit Stop North on Chancery Street. He was convicted as an adult and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for that crime – a sentence that does not expire until 2019.