Man found guilty in stabbing near UNR campus during Wolf Pack Game

Simon Cordova Rios Jr. faces habitual criminal sentence.

Reno, Nevada.  March 11, 2015. On Wednesday, March 4, 2015, a Washoe County jury found defendant Simon Cordova Rios Jr. guilty of battery with a deadly weapon for stabbing a man three times on North Sierra Street near the 7-11 and Little Waldorf Saloon on Aug. 30, 2014.

The evidence presented at the trial showed that the victim attempted to enter the first Wolf Pack football game of the season using a ticket he had purchased from the defendant’s brother. The victim was denied access to the game because the ticket was fraudulent, and called to ask for a refund. Instead of receiving a refund, however, when the victim met the defendant and his brother at the 7-11, the defendant immediately pulled out a knife and threatened to stab the victim. The victim attempted to get away, but eventually fell down in the street and was stabbed three times in the leg by the defendant. Fortunately for the victim, Officer Demetrius Kassebaum from the Reno Police Department arrived on the scene quickly and used the victim’s shirt as a tourniquet while he applied pressure to the victim’s wounds.

Sentencing is currently scheduled for May 13, 2015, in Department 4 of the Second Judicial District Court. Based upon the defendant’s lengthy criminal history, the State will be asking the Court to adjudicate the defendant as a habitual criminal. The defendant faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.

If you have any questions, please contact Adam Cate at 328-3200.

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