A 23-year-old man was sentenced today to eight years to life in state prison for slitting the throat of a tow truck driver attempting to fix a flat tire in Palmdale, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

On May 3, a jury found Favian Eduardo Zayas (dob 11/12/94) of Lancaster guilty of attempted murder and aggravated mayhem.

Deputy District Attorney Steven Mac said the jury also found true allegations of great bodily injury and use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, a box cutter.

On Nov. 14, 2016, Zayas and his father had been arguing about the defendant leaving the home for rehabilitation. During the course of the day, Zayas and his father drove to a disabled moving van to assist the father's boss with a flat tire near 10th Street West and Avenue N, the prosecutor said. The father and Zayas waited for a tow truck driver to fix the tire as the boss left the location.

The tow truck driver arrived and as he worked on fixing the tire, Zayas came up behind the driver and slit his throat from ear to ear with a box cutter, according to evidence presented at trial. A nearby Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant provided immediate aid to the victim who was soon after transported to a hospital, the prosecutor added.

Case MA069954 was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Palmdale Station.

Los Angeles District Attorney / Case MA069954 / June 20, 2018