Court Briefs

Blanca Estella Rivas, 23, spent two weeks recovering from a self-inflicted knife wound to the throat before being arrested for the death of Jose Arita.

Rivas and Arita, 21, began arguing Aug. 8 after he danced in the backyard with another woman. The fight escalated and became physical as they entered the Hamilton Avenue home about 6:30 p.m. At some point, Rivas reportedly plunged a steak knife into Rivas' chest. After it broke off, she grabbed another knife and stabbed herself in the throat.

Responding officers found Arita dead and Rivas with the knife still in her throat. The couple lived together in a room at the house.

Rivas returns to court Oct. 27 to set a preliminary hearing. She remains in custody on no-bail status

San Mateo man takes plea bargain to avoid attempted murder trial, man paralyzed

The San Mateo man who shot a bullet through the neck of another man, leaving him paralyzed, agreed to plead no contest to assault with a firearm and mayhem yesterday rather than face trial on attempted murder charges.

William James Hagan, Jr., 28, was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder and mayhem. Mayhem refers to the disability inflicted on the victim.

He agreed to the plea in return for no more than five years in state prison. If convicted by a jury, he faced a life sentence.

His victim was left a quadriplegic by the shooting. The 34-year-old South San Francisco man was shot Feb. 9 outside Hagan's home in the 400 block of Claremont Street. The 9-mm bullet shattered a vertebra before exiting the front of the neck.

The victim had traveled to San Mateo with two friends to retrieve some property. The meeting escalated into a shoving match and eventually the shooting, according to police reports.

Hagan left the victim on the sidewalk while he went back into his home to hide the weapon, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Hagan, with his defense attorney, turned himself in at the police station the following day.

Hagan remains in custody on no-bail status. He returns to court Sept. 28 for sentencing.

Teen who beat and stabbed

classmate sentenced to year in jail

One of two juveniles accused of beating and stabbing a 16-year-old Woodside High School student at the beginning of the year was sentenced yesterday to three years probation and one year in the county jail.

Victor Garcia, 18, of Redwood City pleaded no contest in August to assault with a deadly weapon rather than face trail on attempted murder and gang affiliation charges. He has credit for 357 days already served in jail, meaning he will be released in one week. He must also pay restitution and is forbidden from possessing deadly weapons or a pager.

He was 17 at the time of his arrest but charged as an adult because he actually did the stabbing, according to the District Attorney's Office.

On Jan. 12, Garcia, a member of the Norte