Pueblo man pleads guilty to negligent homicide in death of 90-year-old father
A Pueblo man recently accepted a plea agreement in connection to his father's death last September and is set to be sentenced, according to court records.
Paul Sandoval, 42, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, a Class 5 felony, in the death of his 90-year-old father, Benny Sandoval. In return for his guilty plea, all other charges against Paul Sandoval were dismissed.
Paul Sandoval was originally charged with second-degree murder and robbery of an at-risk adult. The plea agreement did not stipulate a sentence for the charge of criminally negligent homicide; sentencing was left to the discretion of the court.
Paul Sandoval could be sentenced to anywhere between one and three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, with a fine of no less than $1,000 and no more than $100,000, unless "extraordinary mitigating or aggravating factors" are found, according to the agreement offered by the 10th Judicial District Attorney's office.
The plea agreement also states that Paul Sandoval will have to pay an as-yet-undetermined amount of restitution.
The charges stem from an incident in which Paul Sandoval allegedly "slammed" his father, Benny Sandoval, into the ground on Sept. 8.
According to a 911 call transcribed in an arrest affidavit, the caller stated he and Benny Sandoval were woken up by the defendant, who was demanding money. When Benny said he did not have any money, the defendant looked under his father's mattress, the witness claimed.
The witness said Benny Sandoval then got up, and the defendant grabbed him from behind and began slamming him on the ground. The witness stated the defendant had been drinking vodka that night.
Benny Sandoval reportedly confirmed to deputies who responded to the scene that his son had woken them up looking for money, and attempted to grab Benny's wallet and car keys after being told he didn't have any money to give his son. However, Benny reportedly stated that his son "pushed him on the floor and that's it" and said he was "fine."
Benny Sandoval, according to the affidavit, told deputies his son was trying to get the keys and cash to go purchase more alcohol.
Following the September incident with his son, Benny Sandoval declined to press charges. Later that day, at about 8 p.m., family members called 911 because they believed Benny Sandoval was having a stroke.
He was taken to an area hospital and later flown to a Colorado Springs hospital with a brain bleed. On Sept. 27, he was put in imminent hospice care due to rapid decline and died on Sept. 30.
Paul Sandoval will be sentenced by Judge Amiel Markensen at 9 a.m. Sept. 15.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo man pleads guilty to negligent homicide in father's death
