PUEBLO – The man accused of stabbing a construction worker in Pueblo on Tuesday faces up to 48 years behind bars if convicted of the first degree attempted murder charge filed against him.
Devon Williams, 34, appeared before a judge on Wednesday. His bond was set at $250,000 cash, surety or property. The public defender representing Williams indicated that his client had no money and would be unlikely to post such a high bond amount.
Pueblo police officers believe that Williams was throwing rocks at traffic Tuesday morning in the 700 block of Santa Fe Avenue when he was confronted by construction crews doing restoration work on the steel truss bridge.
The victim in the case, 54-year old Ponce Sotelo, was on the phone with dispatchers when he was stabbed in the abdomen by Williams. Witnesses told officers that Sotelo and others followed Williams at a distance when he approached them with a knife in his hand. He reportedly swung the blade toward Sotelo’s face and neck. Sotelo moved backward to avoid injury and tripped on a curb. That’s when the witnesses said that Williams rushed Sotelo and stabbed him.
Sotelo’s relatives told News 5 that he had surgery for his knife wound and was placed in Intensive Care.
When officers arrived on the scene, they spotted a man matching Williams description a few blocks away. He said his name was Devon and he was carrying a knife and the blade was still wet.
As he was being put in the squad car, Officer Phillip Vigil said that Williams spontaneously said, “I don’t want to kill that fool,” without being asked any questions.
After he was read his Miranda Rights, Williams agreed to speak with Williams and told him a story about “getting into it” with an unknown person at a Taco Bell. Williams claimed he was shot in the neck with a tranquilizer dart, although he did not show any visible signs of an injury.
Vigil described William’s has having pupils that were very dilated and that he appeared paranoid that someone.
The police have not said whether they believe this case was connected to an early rock-throwing incident where a man’s eye was injured when rock went through the windshield of his truck.
News 5 searched court records and couldn’t find any other criminal convictions against Williams in the State of Colorado. In the affidavit for an arrest warrant, Vigil stated that Williams has an extensive criminal history with convictions for felony assault, assault, and robbery.
His attorney told the judge that Williams is not from Pueblo and was traveling here. Williams is due in court again Monday morning.
