Hugging neighbor sent to prison

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A man who feigned an offer for a hug, before surprising his duped neighbor by stabbing him multiple times, received prison time earlier this week in Red Willow County District Court. The attacker, 26-year-old Carlos M. Arteta-Sanchez, was sentenced to 3 to 5 years in state prison after being convicted of second-degree assault.

Given Nebraska's "good time" provisions, Arteta-Sanchez could serve as little as a year in a half in prison for the attack, during which he stabbed his neighbor with a knife three times; in the right hip, right elbow and a third time in the rib cage, which punctured his victim's liver and kidney.

Arteta-Sanchez was initially charged with two Class II felony offenses stemming from the incident, the first for first-degree assault and the second for use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. He accepted a plea agreement, offered by Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood, dismissing the deadly weapon charge and reducing the assault charge to a Class III felony version of second degree assault.

The initial assault charge indicated Arteta-Sanchez caused "serious bodily injury" to his victim, the amended charge revised it to read "bodily injury with a dangerous instrument."

The stabbing victim told investigators he wasn't arguing with Arteta-Sanchez when the man stabbed him and was simply hugging the man when the assault occurred.

The victim said he made a comment to his neighbor-turned-attacker about not drinking and driving and pointed out he had damaged his car when he hit his trailer. Arteta-Sanchez responded with a gesture indicating he wanted a hug and while the two men embraced the victim said he felt a pain in his right side. He subsequently pushed Arteta-Sanchez away and after looking down and seeing blood, attempted to return to his trailer across the street to get assistance from his wife.

Emergency responders found the man sitting on his front-porch with the right side of his body soaked in blood, both above and below the waist. The victim was transported to Community Hospital for treatment and struggled to maintain consciousness during the trip, according to court documents.

Arteta-Sanchez hails from Nicaragua and when asked for paperwork showing he was in the United State legally, he told investigators he was illegally in the United States.

The victim, also a Nicaraguan national, said he was related to Arteta-Sanchez by marriage, explaining that his brother was married to Arteta-Sanchez's aunt.

The assault occurred at 11:15 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2013, on the 300 block of West 11th Street.