He wielded a knife but didn’t stab anyone, now faces 39 years in prison

A Farmersville man faces 39 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of assault with a deadly weapon, the Tulare County District Attorney said Wednesday.

Monday, a jury found Frank Luna, 49, guilty in a case that involved a knife.

On the afternoon of Oct. 31, 2015, Luna and his brother got into a shouting match in front of his brother’s house in Farmersville, drawing the attention of family members and a family friend across the street.

Luna angrily told the friend he better be careful out in the streets, then left on his bicycle. But he soon returned and accused the friend of talking to his girlfriend. He pulled out a knife from his pocket and thrust the knife at the friend, coming within inches of his chest, the District Attorney’s Office said. He then departed again on his bicycle.

Luna is a “two striker” under the state’s “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law, so he is subject to more prison time. The jury found true the special allegations that he was previously convicted of two strikes for robbery in 1999 and has been to prison four times for robbery, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and petty theft with prior convictions.

He’ll be sentenced Feb. 13.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 6:20 PM with the headline "He wielded a knife but didn’t stab anyone, now faces 39 years in prison."