San Angelo Man Agrees to Plea Deal in Knife Attack

SAN ANGELO, Texas — John Paul Salas, 31, of San Angelo, has reached a plea agreement in connection to charges of robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from a stabbing incident.

According to court documents, on August 5, 2023, San Angelo police responded to a stabbing incident in the 2200 block of Colorado Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found a victim with a stab wound to the abdomen. The suspect, identified as Salas, was apprehended on the next block with a knife in close proximity.

Witnesses reported that an argument between Salas and the mother of his child escalated from a bedroom to the kitchen of an apartment. A witness intervened, prompting Salas to brandish a knife. Subsequently, the witness's nephew intervened, resulting in a scuffle during which Salas allegedly stabbed the victim.

Salas initially denied recalling the events clearly but later acknowledged the argument and physical altercation. The victim's account aligned with witness testimony, describing an attempt to protect the child's mother from Salas.

In a statement to authorities, the child's mother recounted a heated argument with Salas, during which he exhibited aggressive behavior, including breaking a door with a hammer. She claimed Salas then wielded a knife, although she denied feeling directly threatened.

Authorities recovered the knife allegedly used in the assault, further corroborating witness statements.

Salas faces eight years deferred adjudication for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a concurrent sentence of 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, along with eight years of probation for robbery, pending judicial approval.