A man who stabbed a woman through her car window in San Francisco last summer was convicted of attempted manslaughter this week, District Attorney George Gascon announced Thursday.
A jury found Julius Joel Lee, 30, guilty on Monday of one count of attempted manslaughter with a knife and two counts of felony domestic violence, among others.
On Aug. 16, 2010, Lee was working as a bouncer outside a club when he got into an argument with Lou Thomas, the mother of his toddler daughter.
The argument turned physical, and Lee punched Thomas in the face, according to evidence presented during the trial. Thomas left with a friend to get ice from Lee’s home for her eye, which had begun to swell.
Unable to enter the home, Thomas sat in her car with the windows down. A short time later, Lee exited his home armed with a butcher knife and threatened Thomas, saying, “I’m going to kill you.”
Lee stabbed her through the open car window in her arm and face, and the friend fled from the car to call 911, according to the district attorney’s office. In the struggle, Thomas was able to fight back and grabbed hold of Lee’s hand that was clutching the knife.
When police arrived, Lee dropped the knife and ran inside his house. He eventually surrendered to police.
The weapon was recovered, and Thomas did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
“The defendant viciously and violently attacked the victim in this case,” Gascon said in a statement today. “This conviction hopefully gives some level of closure to the victim.”
Lee was also found guilty of one count each of attempted aggravated mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, and criminal threats, according to the district attorney’s office.
Lee could face a maximum sentence of 11 years in state prison. A sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 24.
Patricia Decker, Bay City News
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