A Pima County Superior Court judge sentenced a Tucson teenager to 58 years in prison Tuesday for attacking four police officers who responded to a family fight call in May 2008.
One officer was stabbed four times, and another was shot in the thigh. The maximum Travis Hylton could have received under the terms of his plea agreement was 60 years.
Hylton, 19, was arguing with his sister on May 11, 2008, when he locked her out of their home and barricaded himself inside with his 14-month-old daughter, according to court records.
When Tucson police officers Edward Boyen and Dawn Paglinawan arrived at the home near East Prince Road and North Mountain Avenue, Boyen and Hylton got into a struggle.
Boyen was stabbed in the face, head, ear and left lung. Three of Boyen's teeth were shattered, nerves in his jaw were severed, and his tongue was cut.
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During the struggle, Hylton also grabbed Boyen's gun.
Paglinawan grabbed the baby and shot Hylton in the shoulder after he shot her, grazing her arm.
Paglinawan gave the baby to a neighbor and during the ensuing minutes, several more shots were fired by Hylton, one of which struck Officer David Friedman in the thigh and several nearly striking Sgt. Chris Davis.
Officers later found Hylton hiding in a nearby yard.
An investigation found Hylton had emptied Boyen's gun, which carries 15 rounds.
The injured officers ultimately were able to return to work.
During Tuesday's hearing, the officers asked Judge Howard Fell to sentence Hylton to the maximum sentence possible, saying it was incredibly lucky no one was killed, including innocent bystanders.
The fact Hylton shot her while she was holding his child shows just how dangerous he is, Paglinawan said.
Although Hylton has a long history of mental illness, more recent psychological tests indicate he is faking the severity of his illness, possibly to escape responsibility for his actions, said Deputy Pima County Attorney Kellie Johnson.
Hylton is sad and remorseful about what happened and opted to plead guilty so the officers wouldn't have to endure a trial, Assistant Pima County Public Defender Kyle Ipson told the judge.
When given an opportunity to speak for himself, Hylton said, "I'm sorry to the victims for putting them through all of this stuff." He also reminded the judge of his age.
"I'm young, you know what I'm saying?" Hylton said.
Hylton probably suffered prenatal brain damage and was born premature, court records indicate. He developed slowly, physically and mentally, and 2002 tests showed he had an IQ of 69.
Hylton has been hospitalized four times for anger issues and suicide attempts and has a history of fire-setting, stealing, lying, cruelty to animals and destruction of property, according to court records. He was referred to juvenile court 31 times, spent a lot of time in the care of Child Protective Services and has a lengthy psychiatric history.
Contact reporter Kim Smith at 573-4241 or kimsmith@azstarnet.com
