Box Cutter Attack At Southwest Plaza: Man Gets 20 Years

GOLDEN, CO – A man found guilty of attacking an RTD bus driver with a box cutter and biting off part of his ear was sentenced yesterday.

District Court Judge Diego Hunt sentenced Richard Allen Mathis, 40, to 20 years in prison for the meth-fueled attack, which he called "savage," the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office said.

On February 24, 2017, the bus driver, Kolio Mintchev reached the end of his route at the Southwest Plaza and asked Mathis to get off the bus. Mathis exited, but then got back on the bus and attacked the driver, police said. The court heard how Mathis punched Mintchev in the face and stabbed him 10 times with a box cutter. As the driver struggled with Mathis to disarm him, Mathis bit off a piece of the driver's ear.

The driver was able to disarm Mathis and lock him inside the bus until Jefferson County sheriff's deputies arrived, the district attorney's office said. Mathis was "aggressive and combative" and kicked deputies when when they took him into custody.

Mathis told the court that he was "heavily under the influence of methamphetamine" during the attack. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on Aug. 18. This was Mathis's fourth felony conviction, the DA's office said.

Image via Jefferson County District Attorney's Office

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