A Hollister man accused of stabbing a co-worker in the throat
April 16, sparking a police manhunt in south Gilroy, heard the
charges against him in court Tuesday.
A Hollister man accused of stabbing a co-worker in the throat April 16, sparking a police manhunt in south Gilroy, heard the charges against him in court Tuesday.
Gabriel Lopez, 37, is charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and two other felony charges for allegedly stabbing Hollister resident Michael Reese outside of Reese’s car parked near the Garlic Farm at Bolsa Street and Monterey Road in Gilroy. Lopez faces up to 13 years in prison for the charges.
The puncture wound to Reese’s neck required emergency surgery, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Lopez remains in custody at Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose on $150,000 bail.
Detectives said Tuesday that a feud between Reese and Lopez over a woman was the cause of the violence.
“There was some sort of bickering about a mutual girlfriend,” said John Marfia, a detective with the Gilroy Police Department.
Police had to wait two days to interview Reese following the incident because of his injuries and subsequent surgery, which kept him sedated and unable to speak. Reese talked to police Friday afternoon and Lopez was subsequently arrested without incident later that day at his Valleyview Drive home.
Lopez was also found in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, charges which could be added to the case at a later time, said Mark Hood, the South County Supervising District Attorney who is handling the case.
Reese’s criminal history is limited to misdemeanor drug abuse, while Lopez’s is still unknown.
“(Lopez’s) current criminal history is not on court file so I can’t give you any information,” Hood said.
Lopez will go back to court in San Martin Friday at 9 a.m. when he is scheduled to enter a plea.
