Man sentenced after pleading guilty stabbing 81-year-old senior in Banning

A convicted felon is facing 15 years behind bars today after pleading guilty to attempted murder for stabbing an 81-year-old Banning man during an attack at the victim's home.

Freddy Armando Ochoa, 27, of Banning was charged with attempted murder, attempted escape of law enforcement custody and sentence-enhancing deadly weapon and great bodily injury allegations. He pleaded guilty to the attempted murder charge on Thursday and was immediately sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to the District Attorney's office.   

Ochoa was arrested on Oct. 15, 2021, after an assault in the 400 block of Drury Lane, near Nicolet Street.

According to Banning police spokeswoman Sol Avila, Ochoa was involved in an unspecified confrontation with the victim, identified in court documents as Larry Newsom, at the Drury Lane residence.

Ochoa pulled a knife and stabbed the senior in the upper body several times, investigators said.  

Witnesses called 911, and patrol officers reached the location within a few minutes, finding Newsom outside his home, bleeding, according to Avila.   

"The victim was transported to a local hospital for additional medical treatment," she said. "The victim's injuries were not life-threatening.''   

Officers immediately confirmed that Ochoa was the alleged assailant and went looking for him, Avila said.

She said he was spotted moments later and taken into custody. However, "while preparing to transport Ochoa to jail for the booking process, Ochoa attempted several times to escape custody by running away from officers," according to the police spokeswoman.

Ochoa was ultimately booked without further incident.   

According to court records, he has a prior conviction for robbery.