Man Sentenced To Jail For Stabbing Nine Mile Road Restaurant Owner

April 24, 2012

A Cantonment man that stabbed a Chinese restaurant owner in the neck after tying to skip out on his bill has pleaded guilty.

Connor James Stenson, 20, pleaded guilty to simple battery and petty theft. He was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail on the battery charge and a concurrent 60 days for petty theft. He will get credit for 77 days he has already spent behind bars awaiting trial.

Victim Shou Chen, owner of King Buffet, said Stenson ate a meal and left the building without paying his $16.95 food and drink bill.

Chen followed him to the parking lot and confronted him. That’s when Stenson pulled out a knife, according to an arrest report, and stabbed Chen in the neck, leaving him with a non-life threatening laceration about four inches long.  A witness backed up Chen’s story.

Stenson was also ordered to pay $16.95 in restitution in addition to $870 in fines and costs. A judge also ordered him to stay away from the buffet restaurant.

Comments

17 Responses to “Man Sentenced To Jail For Stabbing Nine Mile Road Restaurant Owner”

  1. Michelle on April 26th, 2012 10:41 pm

    “Simple battery” did I read it right?

    How can they call it that? He was STABBED in the NECK with a knife.
    I don’t care if it was not life threatening wound.

    He was STABBED IN THE NECK !!!

    I hope the owner has a quick and painless recovery. So we can enjoy the best chinese food in this area.

  2. David Huie Green on April 26th, 2012 5:34 am

    REWARD:
    “Aren’t we rewarding failure here?”

    We are, but if we rewarded failure to commit murder and got people to continue to fail, that would be better than rewarding them for succeeding.

    And remember, folks talk about people in prison learning to be criminals — as if they didn’t already know that, having gotten convicted of committing crimes and all — when they are learning from failures at crime

    David for failure to murder
    and incompetent crooks

  3. JM on April 25th, 2012 3:11 pm

    I agree with mc There should have been restitution made to the business owner
    and this should have been attempted murder in the first place. Why else would
    you stab someone in the neck?

    JUDGE you need to give the victim MORE because I have no doubt the business
    owner missed work and paid thousands to the hospital. Some how it just
    doesn’t sound right to fine him such a small amount for the victims restitution.

    WHERE IS THE JUSTICE!

  4. Ben Thar on April 25th, 2012 1:17 pm

    Yes, if his knife went one inch over to either side, he may have killed Mr Chen. Then he would be up on 2nd degree murder charges.

    I may never understand why, if you do the exact same act..and in one case you are successful at killing someone and in the other case you are not, the charges should be any different.

    Aren’t we rewarding failure here?

  5. JJ on April 25th, 2012 11:27 am

    most people would have recieved state prison time for this crime…this is ridiculous

  6. Molino-Anon on April 24th, 2012 9:56 pm

    I thought most any “stabbing” was a felony, and possibly attempted murder and “cutting” or “slashing” someone was aggravated battery/assault?

    This thug should have gotten far more than he did in this case. Owner of King’s has always been very nice to my family when we eat there and in my opinion a very upstanding member of the business community. This is a shame.

  7. mick on April 24th, 2012 1:00 pm

    So a non-life threatening injury with a deadly weapon… what has happenend to justice? society is going to assume the financial burdens of these animals anyway … premeditated intent to steal, premeditated intent to cause harm with a deadly weapon… make the punishments harsh and the fines stiff, thats the only thing criminals understand…he should be in a cage for ten years

  8. Devastating Dave on April 24th, 2012 12:35 pm

    Thieves should be whipped in public.

  9. mc on April 24th, 2012 10:37 am

    I agree with curious. Why not attempted murder. And it prob cost the victim $5000. dollars in emergency room and medical bills.

  10. David Huie Green on April 24th, 2012 9:40 am

    REGARDING:
    “yeah but I did 3 years state prison on a criminal mischief over 1000 dollars damage and have over 10k in fines”

    Good. Probably makes you want to not get another conviction.

    David for deterrence

  11. Dan on April 24th, 2012 9:08 am

    He plead down.

    A mere “slap on the wrist” but at least it will keep
    this crazy punk off the streets for a little while!

  12. kevin on April 24th, 2012 8:59 am

    yeah but i did 3 years state prison n a criminal mischief over 1000 dollars damage ad have over 10k in fines

  13. Curious on April 24th, 2012 8:11 am

    A four inch stab to the neck with a knife… why wasn’t this attempted murder?

  14. xpeecee on April 24th, 2012 8:10 am

    180 days in jail for a crook who attempted to murder an innocent man? Well that will surely deter crime! Disgusting…

  15. briarroot on April 24th, 2012 6:27 am

    Safebear, that falls under “costs”. He will have to repay cost of incarceration plus court costs at the going rate; including the cost of being on probation while he’s paying off the costs. Escambia court system is really good about recouping the cost of doing business.

  16. David Huie Green on April 24th, 2012 5:27 am

    REGARDING:
    “The county didn’t even make their money back on this one. ”

    They probably won’t but legally, they are supposed to. Consider the court’s judgment:

    22 11/23/2011
    CIVIL RESTITUTION LIEN FOR UNPAID FINES & COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $473.00
    23 11/23/2011
    CERTIFIED COPY OF JUDGMENT
    24 04/04/2012
    RECORD OF OUTSTANDING BALANCE SUBMITTED TO COLLECTION SERVICES INC (CSI) FOR COLLECTION ON Apr 4 2012 12:00AM IN THE AMOUNT OF $473.00

    David for paid-up criminals

  17. Safebear on April 24th, 2012 1:17 am

    Wow, 6 months free food, clothing and shelter and less than $1000. The county didn’t even make their money back on this one. Not sure if he had a public defender or a private attorney so can’t comment on that but, wouldn’t it make sense to that to get out of jail they should at least payback what it cost for the arrest and incarceration?