ELKO NEW MARKET, Minn. — An Elko New Market man will spend more than 26 years behind bars after being sentenced for an altercation that led to the death of his neighbor.
Scott County law enforcement officials say 27-year-old Cesar Jeff Cervantes-Montoya received a 40-year sentence for hitting his 68-year-old neighbor with a hammer in January 2022.
Minnesota law calls for a convicted person to serve at least two-thirds of their sentence, which in Cervantes-Montoya's case is 26.5 years.
Elko New Market police were dispatched to a residence on Main Street the morning of Jan. 5 after Cervantes-Montoya called 911 and told dispatchers he had struck his neighbor with a hammer. Law enforcement arrived and found the victim lying at the bottom of the stairs suffering from severe head trauma.
"Our office is dedicated to ensuring the safety of all residents of Scott County," said Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar. "We will continue to prosecute cases of violent crime to the fullest extent of the law. The outcome of this case should serve as a reminder that we will not tolerate acts of violence in our communities."
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This story has been updated to fix a previous error and reflect the victim was struck by a hammer.
