PHOENIX — A man was arrested on an aggravated assault charge after he appeared to attack a man who murdered his son-in-law during the man’s sentencing.
Alberto Ontiveros Sanchez, 55, stood at a lectern in Maricopa County Superior Court on the morning of Sept. 23, where he lamented the loss of David Natvidad-Parra, 27, whom Abel Uribe, 33, had shot in the back of the head, execution-style, while stealing Sanchez’s Chrysler 300 in 2022, according to court documents.
Natvidad-Parra’s friends and family members mourned the loss of the first-generation West Point graduate who had earned a full-ride scholarship and received multiple awards while serving with the U.S. Army.
Sanchez fought through tears as he asked, through a Spanish interpreter, that Uribe be sentenced to life in prison.
“He was a great husband for my daughter,” Sanchez said. “He was a great example. I felt really proud because he was by my daughter’s side.”
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After he finished speaking, Sanchez stepped away from the lectern and began walking back to the gallery before lunging at Uribe and appearing to strike him several times before Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies and others were able to intervene.
Sanchez was arrested and booked into jail on charges of aggravated assault, a Class 6 felony, as well as misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and interfering with a judicial proceeding, according to arrest documents. He was later released on his own recognizance.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office referred the case to Gila County to avoid a conflict of interest. The Gila County Attorney’s Office had not responded to a request for comment as of 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kristin Culbertson ordered everyone observing the proceeding to vacate the courtroom as additional deputies responded. Culbertson called a recess until 11:10 a.m.
Culbertson initially had the victims watch the resumed proceedings on a monitor in a separate room before allowing a handful of others who wanted to make statements to return to the courtroom.
After all the victims had spoken, Culbertson sentenced Sanchez to life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years, followed by an additional 20-year sentence to be served consecutively.
