An Erie man accused of attacking another man with a knife in early 2025 after asking the man about a pair of gloves waived a felony aggravated assault charge to court Sept. 17 under an agreement reached with prosecutors.
Jose S. Cruz, 56, waived to court a second-degree felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon under an agreement in which he is expected to plead guilty to the charge at a later date, Assistant District Attorney Tayler Moses said. The parties are recommending an 18-month-to-five-year prison sentence for Cruz if the guilty plea is made, Moses said.
As part of the agreement, prosecutors withdrew six other charges Cruz faced in the case, including attempted homicide and a first-degree felony count of aggravated assault.
Cruz remains in custody on $150,000 bond.
What happened in the stabbing?
Erie police accuse Cruz of attacking a 55-year-old man, stabbing the man in the throat and chest and cutting his forehead, during a confrontation on East 26th Street on Feb. 16, 2025.
The man who was attacked told police he was working in a garage when Cruz, whom he was familiar with, asked the man how he had a pair of gloves, then began attacking him, Erie police reported at the time.
The man said he called for his friend and tried to defend himself after Cruz stabbed him in the throat, and was then stabbed in the chest and cut in the forehead. The man’s friend appeared and pulled Cruz off the man before Cruz ran off, police reported.
Officers who responded to the stabbing found Cruz walking on East 26th Street and took him into custody.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie man waives felony assault to court in February 2025 stabbing
Reporting by Tim Hahn, Erie Times-News / Erie Times-News
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This story was originally published September 18, 2026 at 11:22 AM.