Estevan Portugues Guilty of Assaulting Boy With a Machete in 2019
A Guatemalan man pled guilty to assaulting a 9 year old Covington boy with a machete in May 2019. Estevan Portugues entered the guilty plea pursuant to North Carolina v. Alford, meaning he admits the prosecution has enough evidence to convict him, but does not admit to the crime itself. Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders is recommending an 8 year prison sentence. The plea agreement also requires Portugues to agree to deportation once he is released from prison. Sanders said the Alford plea was appropriate in this case because Portugues was so drunk at the time of the assault that he does not remember what he did.
“Police tried to interrogate this defendant immediately after the attack but the defendant was so intoxicated the Spanish speaking officer couldn’t understand him,” said Sanders. The victim, now 12, has fully recovered from his injuries. “Luckily the victim’s shoulder blade kept him from being seriously injured,” said Sanders, “An inch or two in either direction and it could have been life threatening.”
Police charged Portuges with 2nd Degree Assault after a then-16 year old boy with the vicitm identified Portugues as the assailant. A grand jury later indicted Portugues for Attempted Murder. Sanders said he had every intention of taking the case to trial on the Attempted Murder charge until the eye witness was arrested for Murder. “The eye witness identification was key to our case,” said Sanders, “But his credibility was obviously hurt when he was arrested.”
Covington Police arrested Keyshawn McCoy, now 18, for the murder of Michael Bishop on September 12, 2021. McCoy is also charged with shooting Bishop’s spouse, Alisha Haywood. The victims in McCoy’s case are the parents of Portugues’s victim. “This poor kid has obviously lived through more trauma in his twelve years than most people experience in a lifetime,” said Sanders. “Resolving this case without putting him through a trial was in everyone’s best interests” Sanders said.
Portugues will appear before Kenton Circuit Judge Gregory Bartlett for formal, final sentencing on November 22, 2021.
Posted on Saturday, November 6th, 2021 @ 9:41PM
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