Man who slashed face of Carson City deputy sentenced to probation, mental health treatment
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 10:59am
A transient man — who pled guilty to assault with a deadly weapon in which a Carson City sheriff's deputy was slashed in the face with a knife before the deputy shot him 5 times in an August 18, 2017 incident near a Carson City casino — was sentenced Monday to probation and out-patient mental health help rather than going to prison.
District Judge William Maddox noted in his decision, which suspended a prison sentence of 48 to 120 months, that there isn't an inpatient residential treatment facility available to address the kind of mental issues the man, Michael Cruz, has been evaluated and diagnosed with and wasn't going to send him to prison even though what he did was violent and wrong.
Cruz, who has been evaluated by mental health professionals as being mentally ill, having a head injury and who is delusional and suffers from psychosis, wouldn't acknowledge he has a mental health problem when he went before Maddox for sentencing Monday morning.
A plea agreement was made October of last year between a deputy district attorney, who has since left the Carson City District Attorney's Office, and the defendant Cruz. (see attached PDF below). Carson City District Attorney Jason Woodbury presented to the judge the agreement made by then deputy district attorney Orrin Johnson and urged the judge Monday to sentence Cruz to an in-patient treatment facility, whether in Nevada or a nearby state.
Maddox noted in his years on the bench, the kinds of residential facilities for the mentally ill are not readily available and if so, would be too expensive for defendants to pay for themselves.
When the judge asked him if he had mental health issues, Cruz replied to the affect of his attorney says he does.
The Carson City sheriff's deputy who was injured is Chris Rivera, an 17-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and 21-year veteran of law enforcement. He was slashed in the head with a knife during the incident. Rivera went before the judge, saying Cruz would be a danger to law enforcement if he were to feel threatened by them and believed the probation condition was inadequate, and urged for a tougher sentencing.
In surveillance video of the incident, Cruz was shown behind the area of the casino. The officer approached Cruz, who then became hostile with the deputy. Cruz ran from the officer, who tackled him. Cruz then used a knife and slashed the face of Rivera, before the deputy shot Cruz multiple times in self defense.
Cruz has since recovered from those injuries.
The officer was treated for injuries to his face and was released later from the hospital. Cruz has been held at the Carson City Jail since August 2017.
Cruz was ordered to live with his grandmother and was ordered twice weekly treatment through a Carson City mental health facility including counseling and medication. He is to seek employment and gain employment, will be required if so necessary to wear a GPS device, and to abide by all conditions of probation or face 48 to 120 months in prison.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Cruz Filed Plea by Carson Now on Scribd
