Man Sent to Prison for 9 Years for Racially Motivated Stabbing of Black Victim

A man who repeatedly stabbed a black man at a Carlsbad shelter was sentenced Thursday to nine years in state prison.

Jeremy Willis, 53, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and a hate crime allegation, admitting to stabbing the victim multiple times while the two men stayed last December at La Posada de Guadalupe, which houses men without shelter and farm workers in North County.

Willis, who is white, directed a racial epithet at the victim and made other derogatory racist comments while stabbing him, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

A co-defendant, Scott Williams, tried to stop an observer from alerting shelter staff, prosecutors said. Williams pleaded guilty to dissuading a witness and was sentenced last week to 16 months.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephen said the victim was attacked “simply because he was black.” Unfortunately, hate crimes targeting Black people remain the highest category of hate crimes in our county and state…Hate against any group is a threat to everyone and we will not tolerate these crimes in our community.

– City press service