A Carson City man was sentenced Tuesday to a minimum of 40 months in prison for the injuries he caused when he hit a man in the head with a liquor bottle during a fight.
Under the sentence imposed by District Judge James Wilson, Anthony Lopez could serve as much as 102 months in prison after pleading to attempted battery with substantial bodily injury.
The incident occurred two years ago and both of the victim’s sisters testified their brother hasn’t been the same since the injury, which required major brain surgery. Both they and the victim, Manuel Montes, said he has suffered personality changes, constant headaches, blurred vision and other problems since the injury.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger said doctors think Montes would have died had his sisters not taken him to the hospital. He argued that prison time, not probation, is appropriate.
Lopez’s lawyer, Joey Gilbert, said he wasn’t going to minimize what his client did and that “my client is no angel.” But he said his client has been sober since the arrest, is working two jobs and is trying to pay the restitution that totals more than $183,000 in mostly medical bills. He said he is also helping to provide for his two daughters.
“These things will be seriously interrupted by a prison term,” he said. “I don’t think the taxpayers will be done justice by him being in prison.”
Wilson cited the serious injuries the bottle caused as well as Lopez’s criminal history, which includes charges of domestic battery, battery with a deadly weapon and assault. He imposed prison time of 40-102 months — a maximum of 8½ years.