DeKalb man found guilty in 2020 violent domestic attack

DeKALB - A DeKalb man has been found guilty of attacking a woman with a knife during a May 2020 incident, stabbing her in the face and back.

Angel M. Padilla, 53, of the 200 block of Augusta Avenue in DeKalb, now moves to a sentencing hearing in November, and could face up to 20 years in jail. According to DeKalb County court records, Padilla’s jury trial occurred Sept. 14 through 16, during which a DeKalb County jury found Padilla guilty of attacking a woman in May of last year.

During the trial, the jury found Padilla guilty of unlawful vehicular invasion, a Class 1 felony, aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony and aggravated assault, a Class A misdemeanor.

“This was a heinous act of domestic violence,” said DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato in a statement. “No one deserves such treatment. My thanks to [Assistant State’s Attorneys] [Brooks] Locke and [Suzi] Collins for their work on behalf of the victim and the community in holding Mr. Padilla to account for his violent behavior, and to the DeKalb Police Department for their work in this investigation.”

According to the news release, DeKalb County Assistant State’s Attorneys Locke and Collins presented evidence during the trial that the night of May 21, 2020, Padilla’s victim, a woman he knew, parked her car in the lot on Augusta Avenue in DeKalb. Two witnesses were in the car with the woman.

During the incident, Padilla opened the door of the victim’s car, leaned into the car and stabbed her in the face and back with a knife, according to the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Padilla’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4 at 1:30 p.m. in front of Buick. He had been held in DeKalb County Jail on a $500,000 bond, and would have needed to post $50,000 to get out of jail. The court proceeding was taken over by Buick after the recent retirement of DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Robbin Stuckert.


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