Man stabbed person in wheelchair 42 times, tried to kill his own dad with hammer and rock

A California antheral who fought with his dad regularly and had a past of uncontrolled outbursts tried to termination him with a hammer and stone earlier mounting his location connected occurrence with the begetter inactive inside. He past went to prison and took his choler retired connected a wheelchair-bound inmate, stabbing him 42 times.

Miguel Espino, 33, was convicted past week of premeditated murder aft utilizing an "inmate-manufactured weapon" to instrumentality the beingness of Michael Spengler, 38, who was a slayer himself, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.

"The transgression progressive a precocious grade of cruelty, viciousness and callousness," the DA's bureau said Monday successful a press release announcing Espino's conviction.

"On Aug. 19, 2024, Espino stabbed a wheelchair bound inmate forty-two times connected a recreational gait astatine Salinas Valley State Prison," the DA's bureau recounted. "Espino has 3 anterior convictions for attempted murder, mayhem, and arson from Riverside County successful 2024, which suffice arsenic 'strike' offenses wrong the meaning of California's Three Strikes Law."

Espino, who is from Desert Hot Springs, was recovered blameworthy of attempted execution successful 2023 aft helium utilized a hammer and stone to effort to termination his ain father, Arturo Espino, successful 2018. He acceptable his dad's mobile location ablaze aft the onslaught arsenic helium laic unconscious connected the floor.

During his trial, prosecutors said neighbors saw and heard Espino unleash his rage connected his begetter connected respective occasions. One alleged incidental that was witnessed progressive Espino pinning his father's arms down his backmost portion helium dragged him crossed a roadway successful the mobile location parkland wherever the dada lived.

Espino and his dada argued constantly, per neighbors, until things yet boiled implicit connected the day of Aug. 7, 2018, erstwhile Espino utilized a hammer and stone to bushed his father. He grabbed a heap of apparel aft the onslaught and utilized flammable liquids to acceptable them and his dad's mobile location connected fire.

Neighbors saw the blaze and rushed wrong to prevention Arturo Espino.

Espino, who had nary anterior felony convictions, tried denying that helium attacked his dad. But jailhouse telephone records and transcripts of conversations helium had with his ma showed that helium confessed to the attempted killing.

Espino present faces up to beingness successful situation to beryllium served consecutively with his 7 years to beingness condemnation for trying to termination his begetter arsenic a effect of the Spengler stabbing. Spengler was serving a beingness condemnation for 2 murders helium committed successful Los Angeles County.

"Both murders look to person been astonishment ambushes of the defendant's friends," Superior Court Judge Henry J. Hall said erstwhile helium sentenced Spengler to beingness without the anticipation of parole, the Los Angeles Times and City News Service reported. "They look to beryllium mostly senseless."

Just similar Espino, Spengler was besides convicted based connected comments and a confession helium made during jailhouse telephone calls. Espino's sentencing day has not been made nationalist yet.