A 34-year-old California man will spend nearly two decades in prison for stabbing another man eight times with a knife, “nicking his heart, puncturing his lung and nearly disemboweling him,” prosecutors said.
Flynn Zachary Jones pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury, the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
On Feb. 7, a judge sentenced Jones to 17 years in prison. The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that the victim’s sister called 911 just before 1 a.m. on May 13, 2024, to report her brother had been stabbed multiple times at his home in the 17000 block of Paradise Lane in Redding.
Witnesses identified Jones as the suspect. They told cops he fled on foot. Deputies caught up to Jones in the 1200 block of Lake Boulevard, about a half-mile from the stabbing location. Blood covered his clothes and body.
When deputies questioned him, he tried to blame his condition on a fall. However, deputies found no evidence he actually suffered a fall. He denied any involvement in the stabbing. Cops took him into custody where he originally faced an attempted murder charge.
Paramedics rushed the 58-year-old victim to the hospital suffering from stab wounds to the upper body and abdomen. Deputies described his injuries as non-life-threatening.
Detectives later learned that Jones came to the victim’s home and attacked him when he came outside. Authorities never divulged a motive or said how the victim and suspect knew each other. Witnesses on the scene could not tell deputies why Jones stabbed the victim. Prosecutors said Jones had a prior strike, meaning he previously had been convicted of a serious felony.