An Arizona man punched his son-in-law’s convicted killer inside a Maricopa County courtroom during a sentencing hearing, prompting the judge to clear the room and suspend proceedings.
Alberto Ontiveros Sanchez attacked Abel Uribe after addressing the court emotionally over the murder of David Navidad-Parra. The confrontation was captured on video.
Sanchez rushed towards the defence table and struck Uribe several times on the back of the head. The incident caused such a disturbance that the courtroom was cleared.
At an initial court appearance, Sanchez’s lawyer said he had “lost it” after seeing Uribe “laughing and snickering”.
The judge acknowledged the circumstances but condemned the attack, saying: “I personally can’t imagine the emotions that you must have been feeling today, but we cannot tolerate that kind of conduct in court.”
Sanchez was released on his own recognisance.
Uribe had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder over the 2022 killing of Navidad-Parra and was sentenced to life in prison.
Navidad-Parra had been giving Uribe a test drive while selling Sanchez’s car. His body was later found with a gunshot wound, while the car was discovered burned.
