Azusa man who slashed ex-girlfriend’s throat after breakup gets 22 years to life in prison
A 21-year-old man who was convicted of slashing his ex-girlfriend’s throat and trying to strangle her after she broke up with him was sentenced to 22 years to life in state prison on Wednesday.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found Jason Scott Gustin, of Azusa, guilty in October of attempted murder and mayhem in connection with a 2016 attack on his ex-girlfriend. They also affirmed an allegation that Gustin personally inflicted a great bodily injury on the woman and that he used a knife during the crime, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said Gustin attacked the then 17-year-old girl five days after she ended their nearly 2-year romance in August 2016. A few days after the breakup, Gustin convinced her to meet to talk about the end of their relationship.
As they sat in the car, Gustin pulled out a knife, slashed her throat and tried to choke her. She escaped, but was slashed in the neck, stabbed in the arm and cut the entire length of her right thigh in the process, prosecutors said.
She ran nearly a quarter of a mile to a nearby convalescent home. Gustin chased her, but a nurse at the home locked the doors and prevented him from getting inside, witnesses told authorities.
Police arrested him later that day after he showed up at his mother’s work.
Twitter: @Hannahnfry
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
