Man convicted of Fresno stabbing spree attempts courtroom escape after being sentenced
A Fresno County jail inmate, who was being sentenced to 13 years in prison for stabbing multiple people, tried to push his way out of the courtroom Thursday.
Arturo Acosta, who stabbed six people in downtown Fresno in October, was in Judge James Kelley’s courtroom when the scuffle happened. Kelley had just issued his sentence and concluded the hearing.
But as a Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy walked over to Acosta to escort him out of the courtroom, he turned towards the deputy and began to push him back with his body, knocking over a podium.
The deputy held his ground, blocking Acosta’s attempted escape and stopping him from advancing. Two other deputies quickly helped take him down.
Acosta, who was wearing a yellow jumpsuit reserved for high-risk inmates, was carried out of the courtroom by the deputies.
Acosta, 28, was accused of stabbing six people near Fresno and E streets on the afternoon of Oct. 14. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, six counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of resisting arrest and one count of assault.
In March, he pleaded no contest to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
