By Scott Lewis
1999 stabbing found to be criminally negligent homicide
A Long Beach teenager who stabbed a onetime friend to death over a year ago in what he claims was an act of self-defense has been found guilty of criminally negligent homicide.
Salvatore Petruso, 19, faces 1 1/3 to 4 years in jail in the death of Shareff Jones, 17, when he is sentenced on November 28. His attorney, Ernest Peace, told The Herald that he will ask the judge to set aside the verdict.
"There's no basis to the decision against him," Mr. Peace said. "The kid kept coming at him, kept coming at him, and he stabbed him. I don't know how the hell they could say my kid could have done anything different."
The stabbing occurred on April 8, 1999, after a fight between the two former friends in front of the C-Town supermarket on West Beech Street. Several months before the stabbing, Mr. Petruso had filed a complaint with the Long Beach Police accusing Mr. Jones of stealing jewelry from his home. Though friends and relatives of Mr. Jones said that he had denied stealing from Mr. Petruso, the issue was not resolved.
When the two young men ran into each other in front of C-Town, they fought, according to a witness. After a witness broke up the fight, Mr. Petruso fled down a side street, but Mr. Jones chased him and the two fought again, the witness said.
According to Mr. Peace, Mr. Jones caught up to his client, pushed him up against a wall and punched him repeatedly. Mr. Petruso then pulled out a folding knife, hoping Mr. Jones would back off, Mr. Peace said. Instead, Mr. Jones pulled a razor and threw a punch at Mr. Petruso, Mr. Peace said.
During the trial, several witnesses testified that they did not see a razor in Mr. Jones' hand.
When Mr. Petruso ducked to avoid the punch, the knife ended up piercing Mr. Jones stomach, causing him to bleed to death, Mr. Peace said. The knife, which left a wound 3 1/2 to 4 inches deep, cut Mr. Jones' abdominal wall and pancreas, puncturing arteries and vessels.
