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Eric McCollum, age 28, of Newburgh, pled guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 14 under a plea agreement where he is expected to be sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
McCollum will be sentenced on Thursday. Dec. 21.
As alleged in documents and statements made in court, on Sunday, May 28, around 1:45 am, McCollum and the victim, identified as Jose Soto, age 39, of the city of Newburgh, engaged in a verbal dispute on Broadway in the City of Newburgh in front of the 411 Lounge.
During the argument, McCollum stabbed Soto once in the torso, piercing his heart, and then fled the scene, court documents show.
Detectives from the City of Newburgh Police Department later developed McCollum as the suspect and he was arrested days after the incident.
Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation and arrest of McCollum.
“Petty disputes should never be resolved with violence,” said Hoovler. “The result of this defendant’s actions is both irreversible and tragic. I hope the outcome of the case gives some degree of closure to the family of the victim.”
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