Paterson teen gets three-year prison sentence for knocking out man in viral video | Paterson Times Paterson Times

Paterson teen gets three-year prison sentence for knocking out man in viral video

By Jonathan Greene
Published: September 30, 2016

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18-year-old Kristian Gonzalez received a three-year prison sentence on Friday afternoon for knocking out an unsuspecting man crossing the intersection of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Van Houten Street in Paterson, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

Gonzalez will have to serve eighty-five percent of the prison term before he is eligible for parole. He must serve three years of parole supervision upon release from prison, authorities said.

Authorities said the court also ordered Gonzalez to pay $1,499 to the victim, Cesar Najera, for medical bills and lost wages.

Najera was viciously attacked by Gonzalez on December 7, 2015. Police said Gonzalez was 17 years old at the time of the attack. He was arrested by police two months after the incident when a viral video forced law enforcement to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrator to justice.

The video shows the victim being approached by Gonzalez while a 16-year-old with him allegedly tells him to “Knock him out! Knock him out!” Authorities said the case against the 16-year-old is pending in family court.

Najera addressed the court during the sentencing. He expressed his gratitude to law enforcement for resolving this case. Gonzalez will serve out his time in a Juvenile Justice Commission facility because the charges against him originated in family court, authorities said.

Gonzalez entered a guilty plea on a second-degree aggravated assault charge on August 31, 2016, authorities said. In a plea hearing he admitted his intention was to cause serious bodily injury to the victim and he knew the blow rendered Najera unconscious, authorities said.


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