Three men and a woman have pleaded guilty to charges related to the stabbing death of Willows resident Robert Stewart.
The stabbing occurred in Willows on Feb. 13 in the 900 block on North Butte Street.
According to a police report, deputies responded to a call and found Stewart badly injured on the side of the road. He had been beaten, and also had been given a large cut on his thigh by the defendants.
Police found two of the men involved in the crime a couple of blocks away from the scene.
Joshua Holden, 21, and Jorge Zarate, 19, were arrested there and booked into the Butte County jail. The two other defendants, Consuela Pureco, 19, and Jamie Barbeiro, 40, were found and taken to jail at a later date.
Joshua Holden, 21, and Jorge Zarate, 19, were arrested there and booked into the Butte County jail. The two other defendants, Consuela Pureco, 19, and Jamie Barbeiro, 40, were found and taken to jail at a later date.
Barbeiro, Holden and Zarate have pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, while Pureco has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter with the added charge of using a deadly and dangerous weapon and causing death.
The four defendants reportedly did not intend to kill Stewart, the district attorney said, but they did intend to badly hurt him. Motives for the stabbing are not known at this time.
All four defendants are scheduled for sentencing on July 8. They may spend anywhere from two to four years in prison.
-- Patrick Pace