A Los Angeles man who carried out a brutal attack inside the LAPD’s Harbor Station in San Pedro has been sentenced to 33 years in state prison, bringing an end to a case described by the judge as “mind-boggling.” Judge Debra Cole informed the defendant in a Long Beach courtroom that his acts had “devastating consequences” for cops and their families.
According to MyNewsLA, Jose Cerpa Guzman, 34, pled no contest on March 23 to two charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm on a peace officer, as well as one count of second-degree robbery and eluding a peace officer. As part of the agreement, two attempted murder charges were dismissed. Deputy District Attorney Geoff Lewin informed the court that “no one knows why he did this to this day.” According to MyNewsLA, Guzman has been in detention since his arrest in 2020 and has been declared competent to stand trial following repeated mental competence proceedings.
The attack took place on September 26, 2020, at the LAPD Harbor Station, 2175 John S. Gibson Blvd. According to prosecutors, Guzman entered the station lobby, disappeared, then returned and abruptly attacked a desk officer. According to body camera and surveillance footage, he grabbed the officer’s service gun and pistol-whipped him in the lobby. A watch commander then exchanged gunfire with Guzman as he ran, and the suspect was apprehended following a brief pursuit, according to a news statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Officer Frank Partida was one of the officers who pursued and detained Guzman, and he assisted in subduing the suspect during his arrest. According to the Los Angeles Times, Partida “died Sunday from COVID-19 complications.” The civilian Police Commission of the Los Angeles Police Department later reviewed the takedown and some of the force used during Guzman’s capture. This outside investigation, combined with a series of competency hearings, pushed the case from the 2020 attack to this week’s sentencing.
The plea agreement maintained the assault and robbery counts while eliminating the two attempted murder charges, a deal prosecutors said would result in a quick conclusion after years of legal and mental health issues. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office first accused Guzman with attempted murder and other firearms crimes, stating that if convicted, he could face life in prison. According to MyNewsLA, Lewin told the court that, despite years of investigation, prosecutors still do not have a clear motive for the Harbor Station assault.
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