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May. 06, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Man gets prison time for stabbings at store

By DAVID KIHARA
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Video of attack


Jerry Gomez
Man pleads guilty but mentally ill in 2007 stabbing spree at grocery store

A man who went on a stabbing spree in a North Las Vegas Food 4 Less grocery store in 2007 that left two people hospitalized was sentenced Monday to four to 10 years in prison.

District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez sentenced 40-year-old Jerry Gomez to prison time after Gomez pleaded guilty but mentally ill to one count of attempted murder with a deadly weapon.

The "guilty but mentally ill" plea means Gomez will get treated in prison for mental health problems.

In court, Gomez said he was sorry for the March 2007 attack.

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    • "I just want to apologize," he said.

    Originally from Eastland, Texas, Gomez claimed a Kingman, Ariz., address at the time of the attack.

    Authorities said Gomez walked into the gaming area of the Food 4 Less on Las Vegas Boulevard near Carey Avenue about 11:15 a.m. on March 6, 2007.

    He stabbed gaming clerk Claudia Jarvi, 48, whom he did not know, multiple times.

    The store's security guard rushed to stop him and used pepper spray, and Gomez started stabbing the guard, North Las Vegas police said. The guard later was taken to University Medical Center for treatment of serious wounds.

    Two more store clerks then jumped into the fray and got Gomez under control. They had minor wounds and were treated at the grocery store.

    Video footage of the attack was captured by a customer with a cell phone and distributed to the media. The footage showed Gomez running through the grocery store before several men subdued him.

    In the background, Jarvi could be heard screaming in terror. She was taken to UMC in critical condition. She since has recovered.

    Jarvi attended Gomez's sentencing Monday. Although she had to have plastic surgery, she said she forgave Gomez and hoped he got the treatment he needs.

    Jarvi still works as a gaming clerk but has been transferred to a different store. She said she still gets nervous working at nights because of the attack and has been in therapy.

    She said that Gomez's sentence was "fair" and that "justice has been served."

    Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.



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    Money Trees grow in Fantasy Land (USA) wrote on May 06, 2008 11:28 PM: another TAXPAYER expense. Cute


    Jason wrote on May 06, 2008 05:40 PM: So let me get this straight. We want to charge teenage girls as adults, to face life in prison, because they beat up another girl, and we want to lob off the thumbs of kids who spray paint walls. Yet if you attempt to murder half a dozen people in a grocery store, and it's caught on tape, you can plea out and get 4 years?


    mission031 wrote on May 06, 2008 04:36 PM: Sam and Uncle Sam...you boys need to get a room together!

    And Sam, is the Henderson shooting STILL on your mind??? Get over it you freak! If you're that upset, give me your address and I'll be glad to send you a one-way ticket to anywhere of your choice...just promise you won't come back you handjob!


    Herb wrote on May 06, 2008 10:49 AM: It's offensive to see people change the subject, it trivializes the severity of this case. Can you imagine what it was like to be one of the store employees, just trying to earn an honest living, being stabbed by this monster.

    If there was any justice being stabbed would be part of the punishment for Gomez. He needs to exprience firsthand the pain of what he put his victims through.


    Vindictive wrote on May 06, 2008 10:40 AM: Sam and Uncle Sam, you need to get a life. Do you REALLY think anyone around here cares about your boring and tiresome tirades, beating dead horses into the ground? Why don't you both hang out at your local Middle School? I hear losers like you two might actually find an appreciative audience there.


    uncle sam wrote on May 06, 2008 09:49 AM: vote for obama so he can get rid of all the "thugs" in the street and re-name the white house the "black house". shame on henderson cops too!


    Justice wrote on May 06, 2008 06:50 AM: Have you morons even read this story? Here we have some Mental freak just stabbing people at will for NO reason. Just goes to show you that there is no room in our society for mental whackos. If the only thing keeping them from us is a pill, NO WAY! Lock em all up or ship them to an island.


    Jack wrote on May 06, 2008 06:44 AM: You know a Coroners Jury, looking at all the facts of the Ice Cream Idiots decided this case. The continual invective from our blleding heart liberals is becoming wearisome. Oh and by all the facts, I mean they saw what the newspapers chose not to print becaus it was no sensaional enough or i did not porrayhe cops in a bad light. Obviously this was the newspapers intention. All I can say SAM is that if you do not like our Coroners process, move to california where the Ice Cream Idiots have taken over.


    br wrote on May 06, 2008 05:45 AM: A question for Sam.

    What has this story got to do with the ice cream lady? She threatened civilians, including her son and police officers. Non-lethal attemps to control her failed. It took deadly force to do the job. The policeman did not murder her.

    You are letting whatever beef you have with the Henderson police warp your judgement.


    freetospk wrote on May 06, 2008 04:23 AM: That moron ZZ should be housed with this guy. They could "whiddle" on each other. Hey, ZZ, you idiot...did the Cops dress one of their own up in disguise and commit this violent act?..Come on, let's here dum-dum


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