Las Vegas man pleads guilty to stabbing co-worker inside Cathedral City Airbnb

A Las Vegas man who stabbed his co-worker several times inside an Airbnb rental in Cathedral City was awaiting transfer to state prison today to serve out a seven-year sentence after striking a deal with prosecutors.

Francisco Michael Fisher, 21, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of assault with a deadly weapon and a sentence-enhancing allegation of inflicting great bodily injury in exchange for one count of attempted murder getting dismissed. He was immediately sentenced.

Fisher was arrested last Jan. 21 at 68355 Tachevah Road and was initially facing 11 years to life in state prison in the case if convicted as previously charged.

At a preliminary hearing last November at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Cathedral City Police Officer Joseph Brooks testified that he was sent to the home at about 4:20 p.m. to a report of a stabbing, and encountered three men holding the defendant down on a bed.

Brooks said witnesses reported the group arrived the day before for a work-related conference. Fisher's co-worker told police the defendant had been relatively new to the company, having only been employed for a few weeks at that point.

On the morning of the stabbing, one of the co-workers told police he awoke to the victim -- identified only as Vicente D.'' in court papers --yelling, "He's trying to kill me,'' in another room.

The witness said he ran to the site of the scuffle and saw the victim holding Fisher up against the wall, in a pool of blood, while Fisher held a knife, Brooks testified.

No motive in the stabbing was disclosed.

According to the police department, the 20-year-old victim suffered stab wounds to the back, head and upper body. He was hospitalized with injuries that police described as serious, but his current status was unknown.

Police at the time also said another man suffered stab wounds while attempting to stop the initial assault, but no charges were filed related to that altercation.

A bloody knife was recovered from the scene, Brooks testified.

Fisher was found mentally competent to stand trial in September following a request by the defense to have him evaluated by a behavioral health specialist.

He has no documented felony convictions, according to Riverside County court records.