Man Restrained During Sentencing For Hookah Bar Assault

DENVER (CBS4)- A man was restrained as he was led away from the courtroom after being sentenced in connection with two separate assaults that happened last summer.

Tilo Sandoval was on bond for a July 2013 assault when he assaulted two victims as they were leaving the hookah bar Sam's Lounge near Alameda Avenue and Zuni on Sept. 2, 2013.

Sandoval, 20, caused serious bodily injury to one of the victims. Police said he attacked the victims because he thought they were gay.

Sandoval pleaded guilty to two counts of menacing in connection with both cases. He was sentenced Friday to five years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Sandoval and several members of his family became visibly upset after the sentence was handed down; Denver sheriff deputies had to restrain Sandoval as he was handcuffed and led from the courtroom.

Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence of nine years citing the seriousness of the injuries and because Sandoval was on bond in a previous case when he committed the second assault.

The victim also spoke in court during the sentencing hearing and declined to ask the court for any particular sentence, saying that even though the attack had forever changed his life he just wanted to move on and wanted Sandoval to be able to move on.