Alberto Ontiveros Sanchez, 55, was arrested Wednesday after attacking his son-in-law’s convicted killer inside a Phoenix courtroom.
The assault erupted around 10:30 a.m. At Maricopa County Court, where Abel Uribe sat awaiting sentencing for the 2022 murder of Army veteran David Navidad-Parra, 27. Sanchez launched himself at Uribe and delivered at least four punches to the back of his head, according to reports.
Sanchez’s attorney, Christian Leuders, told the court his client had been pushed past his breaking point. Leuders said Sanchez “lost it” after he saw Uribe “laughing and snickering” during the proceeding.
“He’s been a model citizen for his entire life,” Leuders told the judge about his client.
Leuders emphasized that Sanchez has no prior criminal record and works full-time to support his children and grandchildren.
Judge Kristin Culbertson acknowledged the father’s anguish but showed no leniency.
“You attacked somebody in a courtroom, and now you’re asking the court to be lenient on you?” Culbertson probed.
“I personally can’t imagine the emotions that you must have been feeling today, but we cannot tolerate that kind of conduct in court,” she continued.
Sanchez now faces charges of aggravated assault on a bound or restrained victim, fighting, and interfering with a judicial proceeding. He was released on his own recognizance.
Uribe had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the killing of Navidad-Parra, who disappeared in 2022 after taking a vehicle for what was supposed to be a routine test drive. The 27-year-old veteran was later found dead. The car turned up separately, torched and charred.
Police connected Uribe to the slaying after catching him using Navidad-Parra’s credit card, leading to his arrest and eventual guilty plea.
The courtroom attack drew national attention as video circulated showing Sanchez being subdued and escorted out in handcuffs. The incident interrupted what was expected to be a routine life sentence hearing for Uribe.
Sanchez’s case now adds a second layer of legal proceedings to a tragedy that has already devastated the Navidad-Parra family. The grandfather’s outburst, while legally costly, came from a place of raw grief that the judge herself acknowledged she could scarcely comprehend.
Uribe is expected to be formally sentenced in the murder case at a later date in Phoenix.