An Arapahoe County judge has sentenced a 29-year-old man to 18 years in prison for a 2013 attack that killed a homeless panhandler.
Daniel Lee Rice had been convicted Aug. 6 of first-degree assault and manslaughter. He was sentenced Thursday.
The victim, 49-year-old Ricky Thompson, often was seen begging for money near the intersection of East Quincy Avenue and South Buckley Road, where the attack occurred on the night of Aug. 14, 2013, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office Friday.
Witnesses said Rice ran across six lanes of traffic and charged at Thompson, punching him in the head and torso.
“The defendant initially admitted that he struck Mr. Thompson, saying that he wanted the victim to leave the neighborhood,” the release said.
Thompson died from his injuries of broken ribs and bleeding from the brain.
“Our laws protect our neighbors regardless of their wealth,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “The victim had his life unjustifiably stolen from him for being homeless. An 18- year sentence to DOC cannot bring him back, but in a small way, it provides some measure of justice to those who loved him.”
The victim’s mother issued a statement through the district attorney’s office that said her son’s death was a hate crime.
“Simply because Ricky was panhandling does not justify what happened to him,” the mother said. “At the end of the day, I’ve lost my son. I want my son back, but I have to go on.”
