Man sentenced to prison in 2018 double stabbing at Santa Rosa restaurant

A Santa Rosa man was sentenced Thursday morning to eight years in prison for a 2018 stabbing that injured two security guards, according to a news release from the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Friday.

The sentence, handed down by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Christopher Honigsberg, came two months after Jose Lopez-Mendoza, 32, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury, according to the release.

The stabbing played out in front of La Perla Tapatia, 1709 Santa Rosa Ave., after an overly intoxicated Lopez-Mendoza was kicked out of the restaurant Aug. 25, 2018, for disturbing other customers as they danced to live music, according to the release.

Lopez-Mendoza, who was barred from returning the restaurant, attempted to force his way past bouncer Tony Garcia-Abarca but failed. When Garcia-Abarca turned his attention to other customers, Lopez-Mendoza stabbed Garcia-Abarca with a knife in the neck, back, arm, prosecutors said.

A second guard, Matthew Bazile, saw the fight and rushed to help, but was stabbed in the hand by Lopez-Mendoza, the office said. Both men were taken to the hospital.

Lopez-Mendoza fled on foot but was arrested by Santa Rosa police officers a few blocks away from the business. His hands and clothes were covered in blood, police said soon after the arrest.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com.