Gang Member Reaches Plea Deal in Brutal 2013 Stabbing Outside Peninsula High School

By Bay City News Service:

REDWOOD CITY, CA- A gang member pleaded no contest Tuesday to attempted murder for attacking and stabbing a 17-year-old victim multiple times outside of his Daly City high school in 2013, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Erik Montes, 21, reached a plea deal with prosecutors in that case and three other felony cases and agreed to a sentence of 28 years in prison, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

According to prosecutors, Montes and two other Norteno gang members -- identified as Michael House and Christopher Merlo -- sat in a car outside Thornton High School at 115 First Ave. on the afternoon of April 15, 2013, waiting for the victim to leave the school. When he came out at about 1:30 p.m., Montes, House and Merlo jumped out of a car about a block away and grabbed the victim.

Montes stabbed him multiple times in the neck, head, hand, torso and arm as Merlo and House punched and kicked him repeatedly, prosecutors said. The assailants got back into the car and fled the area. The victim stumbled back into the school. He was taken to a hospital and survived the attack.

Montes and Merlo were arrested the next day in connection with the stabbing but it took much longer for House to be taken into custody.

Merlo and House reached their own plea deals for assault charges last year. House was sentenced to five years in prison and Merlo was sentenced to three years.

Montes's case continued to a jury trial this year, but on the seventh day of the trial, he changed his plea to no contest, reaching plea deals in three other pending cases against him as well, according to prosecutors.

In total, he pleaded no contest to attempted murder, two counts of threatening officers, having a weapon while in custody and possession of marijuana, prosecutors said. He is expected to be sentenced to 28 years in prison on June 17.

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