A 16-year-old student charged with the vicious stabbing attack on a fellow student will not spend the rest of his life behind bars. In fact, he will not spend even close to what the family of the victim hoped for.
The State Attorney’s Office charged Jose Perez De Corcho as an adult so the judge could have given him life.
She could have given him 16 years, which is what the family of this victim hoped for. Instead, the judge gave him 8.5 years behind bars.
It’s been nearly a year since 16-year-old Juan Hernandez was carried away on a stretcher after being stabbed more than 15 times. He was attacked in the school bathroom by a classmate in a jealous rage over a girl.
Monday, the JROTC teenager recalled the moments that changed his life forever.
“I realized that he had a knife in his hand I fell back up again the stall,” said Juan Hernandez on the witness stand. “I lost my footing and fell to the ground.”
The fellow student who attacked him, Jose Perez De Corcho, used to be his good friend. That’s why Hernandez's mother told the judge she felt betrayed.
“Every time I start to feel really, really bad about it, I remember the fact that my son was lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood begging for him to stop,” said Julia Hernandez.
Juan Hernandez broke down in the courtroom as his former friend apologized for the attack, saying he had been battling depression.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced the Perez-De Corcho to eight and a half years behind bars for his crimes.
“It’s really a very, very tough case, very unfortunately for both families and the judge’s decision was very fair,” said defense attorney Michelle Suskauer.
However, it was a far less satisfying sentence to the victim's family.
“It’s a little more lenient than what I was expecting,” said Hernandez’s mom leaving the courtroom.
Perez- De Corcho’s family was also in the courtroom. His mother testified on his behalf.
He will get credit for the one year he has already served.
