Man sentenced to 37 years to life in fatal stabbing of 3-year-old girl
Ricardo Augusto Utuy aka Juan Perez (Los Angeles Police Department / FOX 11 Los Angeles)
LOS ANGELES - A man was sentenced to 37 years to life after a jury found him guilty of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old at a clothing factory on Halloween night in downtown Los Angeles in 2016, officials said Wednesday.
He was also sentenced for injuring a woman in a separate attack.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter noted that the attacks by Ricardo Augusto Utuy involved "two totally separate victims" in "two totally different acts." The judge rejected the defense's request to run the sentences for the two crimes at the same time, saying the 37-year-old defendant had "earned" consecutive terms.
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The judge also denied the defense's motion for a new trial for Utuy, who was convicted Sept. 3 of first-degree murder for the attack on Ruby Vasquez of Los Angeles, who was stabbed three times with a knife as she went to give her father a cookie at a factory in the 800 block of McGarry Street, near Eighth and Alameda streets.
The mother said the girl went to give her dad a cookie when she saw her daughter running back toward her with Utuy close behind.
Detectives said Utuy stabbed the girl multiple times with a knife, and she later died at the hospital.
Utuy was also found guilty of attempted murder for the stabbing of a woman at another downtown Los Angeles factory on March 10, 2016.
As for Utuy's motive, the police detective told reporters outside court that the defendant, who testified at his trial, “pretty much said that
he had voices coming to him and daring him to kill Ruby.'' He said there was also some mention of a Ouija board.
In September, Ricardo Augusto Utuy, 37, who also goes by the name Juan Perez, was found guilty of one count each of first-degree murder and attempted murder, Deputy District Attorney Kathy Ta said.
Utuy made his first court appearance for the crime in November 2016.
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The Guatemalan national surrendered to Los Angeles police a day after the attack on the girl. Authorities subsequently linked him to the earlier attack.
The police detective said he is "confident" that Utuy will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Utuy's attorney told the judge that her client plans to appeal his
City News Service contributed to this report.