Man gets six months in stabbing at party

A Vancouver man was sentenced in Clark County Superior Court on Thursday to six months in jail for a stabbing that occurred May 18 at a residence in the city.

Francisco Leyva-Gonzalez, 27, is eligible to serve the sentence on work release, said his attorney, Bob Vukanovich.

In an agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault Thursday. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop a deadly weapon enhancement, which would have nearly tripled his potential sentence, Vukanovich said.

The 18-year-old victim, Colby Haugen, sustained a deep laceration to the front of his neck, which was not life-threatening, according to court papers.

The stabbing followed a party at Haugen’s residence in the 12900 block of Northeast 50th Street. Leyva-Gonzalez had attended the party and returned in order to retrieve his cellphone, Vukanovich said. When he returned, he became involved in an argument with Haugen. Gonzalez drew the knife to defend himself and inadvertently stabbed Haugen when Haugen lunged at him, the attorney said.

It’s unclear what caused the dispute between the two men.

Gonzalez has no previous criminal history.