The man that pistol-whipped two people in a Phoenix apartment complex last Halloween has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars and three years of probation after his release from prison. Perhaps the city of Phoenix can breathe a sigh of relief for Halloween 2010.
Associated Press reports that the sentencing took place on Tuesday after 34-year-old Justin Pare was found guilty of first-degree burglary, aggravated assault and unlawful flight. The man was reportedly wearing a black and white skeleton mask on October 31 when he entered an apartment through a window and demanded money from a man. The victim was struck in the head with a gun once he told the masked man that he did not have any money. The same thing happened again to another victim that was in the courtyard of the Phoenix apartment complex.
There are various degrees to burglary in the state of Arizona, where first-degree burglary is the most severe of the crimes. Arizona Revised Statute §13-1508 states that a person commits burglary in the first degree if he or she commits theft and knowingly possesses explosives, a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument. Such an offense is considered a class 2 felony if committed in a residential structure. In the Grand Canyon state, there are Phoenix criminal lawyers that will plea bargain with prosecutors to lower first-degree burglary crimes down to a lesser offense, such as second-degree burglary or third-degree burglary. More information on the plea bargaining process can be found through our Related Resources pages.
Related Resources:
- Burglary Crimes (FindLaw's LawBrain)
- See a Phoenix Criminal Lawyer (FindLaw)
- Plea Bargaining: Areas of Negotiation (FindLaw)
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