Redwood City Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years for Attempted Murder

A man was sentenced Wednesday in Redwood City to 17 years and four months in prison after pleading no contest to attempted murder charges for attacking his girlfriend’s sister and a neighbor, according to the San Mateo District Attorney’s Office.

Redwood City resident Kelson Aweau, 23, and his girlfriend went to the San Francisco Giants’ World Series victory parade on Oct. 31 and drank alcohol throughout the day, prosecutors said.

After the parade, the two went back to his girlfriend’s home where she lived with her parents and 17-year-old sister in Redwood City, according to prosecutors.

At about 10:30 p.m., Aweau attacked the sister in the front yard with what may have been a hammer or knife, a weapon that was never recovered.

Aweau struck the girl several times in the head and body, causing serious bleeding to her brain, prosecutors said.

The girl’s jaw was also broken, she suffered a severe cut on her face and needed more than 30 stitches in her head, prosecutors said.

When a 74-year-old neighbor heard the attack and came outside to help, Aweau hit him in the head, prosecutors said.

The man needed 39 stitches to close the wound, according to prosecutors.

Aweau went back into the house after the attacks with blood all over him, woke his girlfriend and told her he had beaten the pair, according to prosecutors.

Aweau left the area but was arrested 10 hours later when he returned, prosecutors said.

The girl Aweau attacked testified that he is a “savage barbarian” and should receive far more punishment than he is getting, according to prosecutors.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said both victims are doing well in their recovery.

Aweau pleaded no contest to the charges on June 22 and will return to court on Friday for a restitution hearing. His attorney Ross Green was not immediately available for comment Thursday.

-- Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock