LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — An Eldorado High School student accused of attacking a teacher was sentenced to serve 16 to 40 years in prison on Wednesday.
Jonathan Eluterio Martinez Garcia pleaded guilty in April to charges of attempted murder, attempted sexual assault, and battery with a deadly weapon.
The charges stem from an incident that happened in April 2022, in which Garcia choked his teacher with a computer cord and then removed articles of her clothing while she was unconscious, according to an arrest report.
When asking Garcia why he was doing this, the teacher told police that Garcia said he had "something like 'multiple personalities'" and "didn't like teachers."
The report also indicates that Garcia asked the teacher, "Can't you just die already? Hurry up."
State prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Garcia to serve 22 to 55 years in the Nevada Department of Corrections. Prosecutors claim that through self-reporting, Garcia demonstrated a "conscious ability" to understand what was happening during the attack.
"He said it best himself: 'I should have told someone. I should have asked for help. I could have avoided this,'" a prosecutor said.
Garcia also expressed remorse while reading a letter before the court, in which he said, "I regret what I have done. I also regret the things I should have done but didn't do, like get help or tell my family what I was experiencing."
He continued, "Even though I’ve been in custody, I’ve been trying to change my life for the better. ...I will tell myself I have no one else to blame but myself. I am so sorry for everything I put you through. I’m sorry."
A defense attorney representing Garcia claims that his behavior stemmed from an asthma medication which induced "hallucinations, night terrors, and homicidal ideations."
"Pretty much right after starting to take that medication, his family starts noticing changes in behavior. He gains weight, is irritable, and gets no sleep because of night terrors," his attorney said.
The defense attorney asked the judge to give Garcia probation, claiming that "giving [him] time" wouldn't "change a thing" for the victim or her family.
Multiple friends and family members of the teacher, who was present in court, read victim impact statements that highlighted how the attack affected her ability to leave her home, process emotions, and even get out of bed.
"Seeing her in the shape she has been in, it affected my whole family," her brother said. "I believe [the] state that she was put into isn’t fair for anyone. Ever since that day, my sister has not fully recovered and I have not gotten her back."
She also testified before the court that she could not leave her house for two months straight "without feeling like someone's coming after [her]."
She continued, "I truly believed with everything in me that I would die under those shelves."
Garcia was sentenced to serve 16 to 40 years in the Nevada Department of Corrections. He will receive credit for the 447 days he's spent in jail so far.
Judge Kathleen E. Delaney said the sentence handed down to Garcia was meant to have him serve as much time in prison as he'd spent out of prison in his life so far.
