WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2022) A Texas man entered three guilty pleas in a Federal court to attacking an Asian family out shopping and stabbing their six-year-old son in the head with intent to kill because he believed they were responsible for the pandemic, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday.
"The Justice Department announced today that Jose Gomez III, 21, of Midland, Texas, pleaded guilty to three counts of committing a hate crime for attacking an Asian family he believed was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic because he believed them to be Chinese," the release said.
According to documents filed in connection with the plea, Gomez entered a Sam's Club Warehouse in Midland, Texas, behind an Asian family with young children on March 14, 2020. Gomez first punched the father then attacked his young son with an eight inch steak knife, the release said.
"Gomez slashed open the face of RC, the then-six-year-old child. The blade entered millimeters from RC's right eye, split his right ear and wrapped around to the back of his skull. Gomez also stabbed a Sam's Club employee who intervened to stop Gomez from further assaulting the Asian family," the release said.
Gomez admitted after his attack that he had attempted to kill the 6-year-old child and had attacked the store employee because he was preventing him from killing the boy. Gomez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and for each offense, a $250,000 fine, the release said.
