Dressed in a black-and-white striped inmate uniform, Walter Marquez, 36, of Cortez pleaded guilty Tuesday, Oct. 22, to three counts of felony menacing and a single count of resisting arrest. The charges stem from a July 23rd attack when Marquez \u201ckicked down the doors\u201d of multiple residences on the 500 block of N. Harrison Street.<\/p>\n
Chief District Court Judge Doug Walker accepted the plea deal once Marquez indicated that he wanted to give up his right to a jury trial. Marquez is scheduled for sentencing at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 5.<\/p>\n
At sentencing, Marquez faces a one- to three-year prison term for each felony menacing count, which could be doubled if the judge finds aggravating circumstances. Marquez also faces an additional one-year prison term for resisting arrest and fines that could total more than $100,000.<\/p>\n
Public defender Zach Brown said the judge could order the prison sentences to run consecutively or concurrently.<\/p>\n
Court records reveal a bloodied Marquez entered the homes of three strangers while armed with a machete on the afternoon in question. Reports say the defendant demonstrated \u201cextremely violent and unpredictable behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the victims in the case told the Cortez Journal that she and her mother were walking in their neighborhood when Marquez approached them with a machete raised above his head.<\/p>\n
Marquez was initially charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, six counts of felony menacing, false report of explosives, two counts of criminal mischief, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in relation to the incident. As a result of the plea agreement, the outstanding charges are likely to be dismissed.<\/p>\n