Guilty plea in Columbia mall stabbing
A Howard County man pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted second-degree murder in the stabbing of a teenager after a drug deal went sour outside a Columbia mall this year.
Bernardo Leconte, 18, of Columbia, could face 30 years in prison. However, prosecutors recommended a sentence of 20 years, with all but 15 suspended. State sentencing guidelines suggest a sentence of five to 12 years.
The near-fatal stabbing, which occurred on a weekday afternoon when the mall bustled with shoppers, shocked Columbia residents unaccustomed to violent crime in the Town Center. The crime prompted the mall operator, General Growth Properties, to launch a review of security measures.
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1
I was working at the JCPenney store when the victim ran inside for help. He collapsed to the floor. He repeatedly asked am I going to die. At that time I thought he was going to die. So, I did the only thing I could. I prayed for the boys life. By the grace of God he lived. I will never forget that day. When the medics rolled him over, and we could see his organs hanging out. It was the most gruesome thing I ever saw in my life. I hope everyone learns from this. As Regan would say “Just say No”.
Comment by C Kirby — September 13, 2008 @ 1:05 am
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Yeah, Just Say No to Subsidized Housing in Columbia. If you take the weekly crime blotter from the Flyer and push pins into a map for each crime, before long you won’t be able to see the subsidized complexes.
Subsidized housing in the suburbs cheats the hardworking proud citizens who pay their own way and has plagued Columbia with an inordinate of violent crime and downtrodden public schools.
No more section 8 in Columbia !
Comment by Joe — August 4, 2009 @ 12:32 am