Man sentenced for stabbing senior on CV Link in Palm Springs on New Year’s Eve

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - A 56-year-old man was sentenced Monday for stabbing a senior citizen without
provocation on the CV Link in Palm Springs.

Jacob Ethan Masters was officially sentenced to 8 years after being convicted of cruelty to elder/adult with an enhancement of injuring someone who is 70 years or older, according to court records.

Masters admitted the allegations Monday under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors dropped several related charges against Masters.   

During the hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the stipulated sentence.

Masters was arrested on Jan. 11 near the CV Link trail in the area of the Cimarron Golf Course.

The arrest stems from a stabbing on Dec. 31 along the CV Link trail between Golf Club Drive and Cathedral Canyon Drive.

The victim, a man out for a walk, reported that he made eye contact with a man on the trail as they passed. The victim said that about 15 minutes later, as he headed toward home, the suspect was still in the area.

Police said the suspect reportedly put on a ski mask, approached while yelling profanities, and assaulted the victim, knocking him to the ground. The victim fought back, and the suspect fled on foot. After the altercation, the victim learned he had been stabbed.

The victim was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and later released.

Police said that the incident appears to have been an unprovoked attack. The suspect did not demand property, and the motive remains under investigation.

Court records show Masters has prior convictions for domestic violence and auto theft.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.