A Lyon County judge has sentenced one of several co-defendants convicted in an alleged kidnapping and beating incident from last November involving an Emporia teenager.
At a Thursday hearing, Judge Jeffry Larson gave 17-year-old Jonathan Manzano a 36-month probation sentence. Manzano, charged as an adult in the case, faced felony charges of aggravated battery and attempted aggravated robbery. Judge Larson initially said the aggravated battery charge carried a 13-month prison sentence and the robbery charge carried a 34-month prison sentence with community corrections, to be served consecutively.
At the hearing, Manzano, who has a minimal criminal history record, informed Judge Larson that if given probation, he “would not mess up as he’s learned his lesson.” Larson said in court he was “reluctant to hand down probation due to the graphic nature of the video of the attack.” Larson said he wasn’t convinced until after Manzano admitted in court that he has an anger problem and needed help. Manzano’s probation officer and an Emporia High counselor testified in court that Manzano had minimal issues completing his probationary terms and had continued to show interest in completing his education at Emporia High School.
As conditions of his probation, Manzano is required to complete an anger management course, pay more than $2,500 in restitution and court fees and must have no contact with the victim, the victim’s family and other co-defendants in the case. Any violations of these terms result in Manzano going to jail.
