A North Texas jury has sentenced Jose Arreola to 28 years behind bars for mutilating his ex-girlfriend in an attack that left her needing more than 500 stitches.
The Dallas County jury could have sentenced Arreola to life in prison. Instead he'll spend nearly three decades behind bars and must pay a $5,000 fine.
Arreola was convicted of aggravated sexual assault on Monday. A district court jury began deliberating his punishment that afternoon. Deliberations continued into Tuesday before jurors recessed for the night. Arreola's sentencing was handed down at about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The woman had testified that Arreola first attacked her in 2009. He was free on bail when he raped and sexually mutilated her in March 2011.
Arreola had argued that the woman was the aggressor in earlier fights. He testified she drank heavily and had repeatedly attacked him with knives.
