Crestview News Bulletin, Fla.
MILTON, Fla. — A prisoner accused of stabbing a correctional officer and another inmate last year was sentenced Thursday to life in prison plus 30 years.
State Attorney Bill Eddins announced Friday that a Santa Rosa County Jury found Mauricio Meza, 26, guilty of attempted first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon and aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.
Santa Rosa Circuit Court Judge David Rimmer immediately sentenced Meza to life in prison plus an additional 30 years. He was sentenced as a prison release reoffender, according to a news release from the State Attorney’s Office.
On March 26, 2017, while serving a sentence at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, Meza stabbed correctional officer Michael Hart and inmate Mitchell Harrison with a handmade weapon.
Before to the attack, Meza had used a handmade handcuff key to remove his handcuffs and leg iron restraints. Meza admitted to the stabbing and told investigators that he had made the weapon several days earlier, according to the release.
Hart, who has been employed with Department of Corrections since 2005, suffered severe damage to his hand. The injuries will prohibit him from working as a correctional officer.
The inmate was stabbed nine times and suffered severe injuries, including a collapsed lung.
At the time of the incident, Meza was serving a 13-year sentence for second-degree murder and robbery.
The investigation and arrest were conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant State Attorney Amber Rowland prosecuted the case.
©2018 Crestview News Bulletin, Fla.