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The actor best known for playing the Super Samurai Power Ranger pleaded guilty Thursday to fatally stabbing his roommate with a sword.
Ricardo Medina, 38, was originally charged with one count of murder for the stabbing death of Josh Sutter in January 2015 at a house the two shared in Green Valley. But through a negotiated plea deal, the murder charge was dropped and Medina pleaded no contest to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter, and admitted to using a sword in the killing.
Medina, who will be sentenced at a later date, is facing a maximum of six years in jail. Had he been convicted of murder, Medina would have faced 26 years to life in jail.
The stabbing occurred as the two men got into an argument over Medina’s girlfriend, authorities said. When the argument escalated, Medina allegedly stabbed Sutter multiple times with a sword, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
After being released from jail in February 2015, Medina told reporters he was ” very, very, very sorry for what occurred.”
Medina’s attorney, Allen Bell, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But he told BuzzFeed News last year that he believed his client was innocent.
“From the evidence I am aware of, he is as innocent now as he was then,” Bell said.
LINK: Super Samurai Power Ranger Charged With Killing Roommate With Sword