Centre County man pleads guilty to machete attack that injured State College teen
A Centre County man pleaded guilty Monday to striking a teenager with a machete at least three times in State College, an assault that left the teen with what a prosecutor described as “fairly significant injuries.”
Emanuel Cespedes, 19, of Halfmoon Township, pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault. Five other charges were dropped. He said little during his hearing Monday, having answered only perfunctory questions.
His sentence is set to be decided by Centre County Judge Brian Marshall.
Under the agreement, Centre County prosecutors may argue for no more than 16-32 months in the county jail, followed by probation. Defense lawyer Helen Stolinas plans to push for 11 1/2 to 23 1/2 months in the county jail.
Cespedes punched the teen and struck him with a machete in June during an altercation at Parkway Plaza Apartments, borough police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. He then left the apartment and was accused of stealing the teen’s backpack.
The teen’s injuries included lacerations to his shoulder, ankle and arm. He was transported by ambulance to UPMC Altoona.
Cespedes is incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility, where he has been since his arrest in June. His bail is $150,000. He’s scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 26.
This story was originally published December 11, 2023 at 11:11 AM.