Man Guilty of Escaping, Assaulting Washoe Sheriff's Deputy - KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe Sparks News, Weather, Video

A July 23rd sentencing date is set for a man convicted of escaping and assaulting an officer last October inside Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno.

Last Friday a jury found 53-year-old Vincent Dean Cordova, Sr. guilty of battery by a prisoner (felony), resisting a peace officer (felony), assault upon an officer by a prisoner (felony), and escape (gross misdemeanor.)

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office says on October 15, 2013 Cordova was arrested on several undisclosed offenses by the Nevada Highway Patrol, and booked into the Washoe County Jail. Two days later, he was transported to Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center for reported chest pains. While there, the inmate was under constant supervision by deputies.

On October 20th, prosecutors say Cordova fled his fourth floor hospital room. A sheriff’s deputy repeatedly ordered him to stop and deployed her taser gun on him, which proved unsuccessful. He entered a stairwell where he wrestled the same deputy; they both rolled down two flights of stairs, during which they say Cordova tried to take the deputy’s taser. He exited the stairwell on the second floor and ran to an elevator down the hallway. After hitting the elevator button, authorities say he lunged at the deputy and a nurse. When the elevator arrived, he entered it and tried to hit the ground floor button. The deputy continued giving verbal commands, which Cordova ignored, and when he approached the deputy again, prosecutors say she shot him once in the leg. She entered the elevator and continued to fight him until other deputies arrived to help.

Cordova was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center for treatment of the gunshot wound, and was subsequently arrested for the above mentioned charges.

Cordova faces up to a total of 15 years in prison, cumulatively, for all of the crimes.

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office says Cordova has been arrested about 80 times and has had five prior felony convictions.