Argument Over Stolen Boots Lead To 'Savage' Attack, Jail Time

MARIETTA, GA -- A Marietta man will serve three decades in prison for a savage attack over a pair of stolen boots that left a 60-year-old man paralyzed and suffering a traumatic brain injury. On the evening of Oct. 11, 2017, Luis Xavier Fontanez encountered the victim in the parking lot of the Citgo station at 824 South Cobb Drive in Marietta, and the two argued. The victim tried to walk away, but Fontanez followed and struck the man, causing him to fall backward onto the concrete, where Fontanez stomped repeatedly on the man’s head.

Fontanez stopped briefly and walked away before returning to the victim and stomping on his skull several more times. The entire incident was captured on video. Police were called and the victim was rushed to WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

During his interview with police, Fontanez, now 32, accused the victim of stealing a pair of boots. Fontanez said, “If someone steals from you, what are you going to do to them?”

The victim, now 62, was left with a traumatic, irreversible brain injury, and doctors advise there are no further treatment options available. He has made little progress in recovering from the attack.

Last Wednesday, Fontanez entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to criminal attempt to commit malice murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault. Even during the hearing, Fontanez continued to blame the victim, interjecting during a relative’s impact statement that the victim shouldn’t have taken the boots.

Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert Leonard II decried the “savage” act and sentenced Fontanez to the maximum of 30 years to serve in prison.