One of three Hollister men linked to a stabbing at a party on Halloween in 2009 has been sentenced to nearly 18 years in prison for his involvement.
Judge Steven Sanders on Wednesday at the San Benito County Courthouse sentenced Conrad Copado, 22 when charged in April, to 17 years and eight months in state prison.
Copado, who has prior convictions in the county, pleaded guilty in October to related charges instead of facing a trial. One of the other two suspects, Carlos Casas, 18 at the time of his charging, also has entered a guilty plea to related charges and faces sentencing at 9 a.m. Dec. 22. The third suspect is Rogelio Galvan, also 18 in April, who still faces a possible jury trial set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 9, according to court records.
Sanders at the sentence hearing Wednesday penalized Copado on three felony convictions along with a misdemeanor. Copado was credited with 521 days of time served.
As for the incident around 11 p.m. that Halloween night, a Hollister officer found the then 20-year-old victim suffering from apparent stab wounds. The man had blood seeping through his clothes and was walking unsteadily down the street.
Witnesses at the party described six to 10 males wearing dark clothing who attacked the victim while he was at the party, according to the police report. The suspects fled from the scene after friends of the victim came out of the house.
A nearly two-year police investigation tied evidence to the three suspects. Copado and Galvan already were in police custody on unrelated crimes when charges were filed against the three.
