Sacramento County judge sentences man who attacked elderly mother, sister over pot smoke
A Sacramento County judge has sentenced a man to 11 years and eight months in state prison for attacking his 72-year-old sister and 94-year-old mother last year after he was told to keep marijuana smoke from wafting through the house, prosecutors said.
Judge James Arguelles sentenced Edward Thomas, 63, at a hearing Friday in Sacramento Superior Court. Last month, the prosecutors said Thomas faced a maximum sentence of 13 years and eight months in prison for the attack on the two elderly women.
A jury on Sept. 16 found Thomas guilty of two counts of elder abuse with enhancements for causing great bodily injury and two counts of battery causing serious bodily injury, according to a news release from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Deputy District Attorney Frederick Gotha prosecuted the case.
The attack occurred Nov. 30. Prosecutors said his sister asked Thomas to keep marijuana smoke from wafting through the house, leading to the assaults. Both women were seriously injured and taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
One victim suffered a broken nose, a fractured orbital bone, scalp hematoma, wounds to her head that required 20 staples, fractured ribs and fractured fingers on both hands, along with multiple human bite marks to her face, arms, hands and chest, according to prosecutors.
They said the other victim suffered bleeding between her skull and her scalp, human bite marks to her face and arm, cuts on her face requiring extensive suturing and a fractured rib.
On Friday afternoon, Thomas remained in custody at Sacramento County Main Jail awaiting transfer to prison.
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 3:55 PM.
