NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - A New Bedford man with a seven-page criminal rap sheet was convicted this week of slashing another man across the face in front of his young son and girlfriend in broad daylight and sentenced to serve five to seven years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn announced.
Rafael Guadulupe, 35, pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with mayhem and assault and battery to collect on a loan in connection with a brutal attack that took place on the morning of Aug. 26, 2017.
Police said Guadulupe approached the victim as he stood with his girlfriend and his seven-year-old at a bus stop near Carlos Pacheco Elementary School and slashed his face from the lower cheek area to the jaw line.
Officers and EMTs responding to the scene at Sawyer and Mt. Pleasant streets said the victim’s laceration was deep enough to visualize his bottom teeth and jawbone.
After being treated for blood loss and shock, the victim helped police positively identify Guadalupe through Facebook photos.
“This is a vicious attack in broad daylight in front of the victim’s son,” Quinn said in a press release. “This conduct shows that the defendant has no conscience and is a depraved and dangerous individual.”
During a sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Veenstra argued for a seven-to-nine-year prison term, based on the brazen crime. The defense requested a more lenient three-to-five-year prison term.
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