Paterson man found guilty of stabbing two men; faces 40-year prison sentence
By Jonathan Greene
Published: November 10, 2016
A city man was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder on Thursday for stabbing two men from Clifton and Newark in an altercation two years ago, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
A Passaic County jury found Ramon Martinez, 53-year-old, found guilty of two counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of third-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, authorities said.
Martinez was accused of stabbing Alex Mena, 41, of Clifton, and Daniel Aguilar, 30, of Newark in a verbal argument that escalated into a physical altercation. Mena and Aguilar testified about the September 13, 2014 incident.
Both testified they were playing pool with Martinez when an argument broke out that turned into a physical altercation. The men testified they observed Martinez walk across the street to his vehicle and return.
Martinez stabbed Mena and Aguilar causing them life-threatening injuries that required immediate medical attention, authorities said. It’s not clear where the incident occurred.
Sentencing for Martinez is scheduled for February 3, 2017 before Passaic County Superior Court Judge Sohail Mohammed. Judge revoked bail for Martinez after the jury verdict and remanded him to the Passaic County Jail pending sentence.
Martinez faces 40 years in state prison. 85-percent of that time has to be served before he is eligible for parole in accordance with the No Early Release Act, authorities said.