Pullman man admits to stabbing man during altercation

A Pullman man has admitted to stabbing and hospitalizing a Moscow man last summer during an altercation at a local gas station.

Cesar Marmolejos, 39, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault Friday in Whitman County Superior Court in Colfax. He was charged with attempted second-degree murder, but the felony crime was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.

Whitman County Superior Court Judge Roger Sandberg sentenced Marmolejos to just short of eight years in prison and three years probation after his release. Court documents indicate this is at the lowest end of the standard range for a first-degree assault charge.

The victim’s response to the case went into Sandberg’s decision. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Tessa Scholl said in court the man supports the plea deal and sentencing recommendation.

Marmolejos was arrested July 1 at Pullman’s Sunset Mart on Bishop Boulevard. Court documents show Pullman police officers were made aware of a large fight that broke out at the convenience store and learned a 22-year-old man had been stabbed.

Witnesses told authorities they saw men fighting in the parking lot before walking to a vehicle. Marmolejos was observed reaching into a partially open car window, and he then stabbed the victim with a large knife, according to court documents.

The victim was driven in a private vehicle to Pullman Regional Hospital before being life-flighted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Court documents show the victim was treated for a severed artery after being stabbed in the arm.

Officers were told by witnesses that Marmolejos reportedly threatened to kill the victim. Marmolejos had confessed that he initially attempted to grab a gun he normally carries, but decided to stab the man instead, according to court documents.

The fight had originated from a long-standing dispute between the two men, court documents show.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.