Soledad man sentenced for stabbing officer and grandparents

A Soledad man will spend nearly 20 years in state prison for stabbing a Soledad Police officer and his grandparents last May, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

Robert Bagwell, 18, was sentenced to 18 years and 4 months in prison for the attempted murder of Soledad Police Officer Thomas Marchese and felony elder abuse, for causing severe bodily harm to his grandparents.

Police officers responded to a 911 call at Bagwell’s grandparents house last May. Police said Marchese was the first officer on scene, where he entered the home with his gun drawn after determining an emergency situation. That’s where he reportedly saw Bagwell on top of an elderly man striking him.

According to police, after Marchese got involved, Bagwell said, “I am going to kill you,” and attacked him with a 4-inch knife, stabbing him several times.

Marchese fully recovered after a stay in intensive care, but could have suffered life-threatening injuries if he hadn’t been wearing a bulletproof vest. Bagwell’s grandparents were stabbed numerous times and needed multiple weeks in the hospital to recover.