A Denver gang member was sentenced Thursday to 24 years in prison for slashing and blinding the left eye of good Samaritan Akio Clark, who was hurt as he rescued a woman under attack.
In sentencing Jeremiah Garcia, District Judge Robert Hyatt described Garcia’s Aug. 21, 2004, assault on Clark as “vicious and cowardly.”
Clark, who had been promoted to supervisor for a Regional Transportation District subcontractor on the day of the attack, lost his job and is now unemployed and on disability.
“I may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I believe I was in the right place at the right time to prevent an awful rape,” Clark said. “Today, I don’t regret what I did.”
But Clark added that his life “has been altered beyond my worst dream.”
Hyatt said that because of the 20-year-old Garcia’s desire “to impress his fellow gang members with his ability to be vicious, tough and vindictive” he had cost Clark his eye and his job.
The attack occurred in an apartment complex in the 4300 block of East 29th Avenue. Clark was on his way home when he was invited into a party at a nearby apartment.
Inside he saw a woman fighting off several men who were holding her arms and legs while another man attempted to rape her.
Clark managed to pull the woman out of the apartment, and she assured him she would be OK. Minutes later, however, he heard her cries for help as she ran from her apartment.
He came to the rescue again and plowed through the attackers, who were using broken bottles and knives to attack him and the woman. Clark fought until police arrived.
He had two surgeries to attempt to save the eye and a third to remove what was left of it. He was stabbed in the head with knives and hit with broken bottles.
“My parents raised me to help where I can,” Clark said. “My mother raised me to be a gentleman, to respect women. What I did that night was nothing less than I would expect from anyone else towards myself.”
Clark was able to identify Garcia as the man who stabbed him in the eye, and Garcia was convicted of first- degree assault.
Prosecutor Tim Twining believes Clark saved the woman from being raped and killed.
Twining said the attack was physically, emotionally and financially devastating for Clark.
Garcia, who wept throughout the sentencing, apologized.
“I just want to say I’m sorry for what happened,” Garcia said. “I feel so bad.”
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
