BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A 34-year-old Bakersfield man pleaded no contest Thursday to fatally stabbing his grandmother, bringing an end to legal proceedings that resumed last year when his murder conviction was overturned.
Juan Andres Valdez pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, according to court records. A sentencing hearing was scheduled May 21 and the murder charge he’d faced was dismissed.
The plea agreement calls for a 12-year prison term, prosecutors said.
Valdez had lived with his grandmother, Maria Magdalena Valdez, 70, who on July 13, 2023, suffered two stab wounds to the head. She died eight days later.
When questioned by investigators, Valdez admitting stabbing her, saying he wanted to escape her control.
He said he took prescription drugs including Seroquel — commonly used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, among other conditions, according to court documents.
At trial in 2024, Deputy Public Defender Julius Cruz told jurors Juan Valdez’s mental health issues led to the killing. He was hearing voices and only meant to hurt his grandmother, Cruz said, not kill her.
The prosecutor said Valdez attacked his grandmother while she slept because he was angry she managed his money.
A jury found Valdez guilty of second-degree murder and he was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison.
Last year, however, an appeals court overturned the conviction after determining the trial judge made an error by reading the jury an instruction on Valdez’s sanity at the time of the attack. The case was returned to Kern County.
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