Man accused of two knife attacks to face jury trial
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POCATELLO — A Pocatello man accused of stabbing two victims during a seven-month time span will face a jury trial in September.
Neicon Nicolas Loveless, 20, is scheduled to appear before a jury on Sept. 14 over charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon following an alleged attack on March 11.. He is also working his way through the court system for a similar incident in August, where following a verbal dispute and struggle over a knife, Loveless allegedly stabbed a man in the face.
Loveless had been scheduled to face a jury this week over the alleged Aug. 8 attack. But that court date has now been rescheduled to coincide with his Sept. 14 trial.
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During the March 11 attack, he allegedly attacked a man, leaving wounds described in police reports as a six- to eight-inch laceration to the victim’s midsection, a puncture wound to the upper left chest, a laceration to the left arm and several puncture wounds to the back.
During interviews, Loveless allegedly told police that he went “berserk” during the altercation and that he was attempting to stab the victim’s face.
RELATED | Stabbing suspect tells officers ‘he went berserk’ on the victim, court documents say
This altercation, according to an affidavit of probable cause, began when Loveless was nearly bitten by a dog at a home he was visiting. In response, Loveless allegedly kicked the dog, then threatened to kill it if it bit him.
The Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office has added a misdemeanor charge for cruelty to animals.
He also faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, each of which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.