Felony charges have been dismissed against a former Sterling elementary teacher following a stabbing and beating that took place in January of 2015.
28-year old Mario Garnica Jr. pled guilty in Lee County court to the misdemeanor offense of attempted obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 1 year of court supervision.
Garnica was originally charged with 4 counts of attempted first degree murder, 2 counts of armed violence, 4 counts of aggravated domestic battery, and 2 counts of battery. He claimed self defense from the incident.
The altercation involved 31-year old Benjamin Brainerd of Dixon who at the time was the boyfriend of Garnica. He was stabbed in the neck and beaten during the altercation.
Ogle County State's Attorney Eric Morrow was appointed as the special prosecutor in the case. He mentioned in a published report that the state felt they could not get a conviction on the felony charges once he looked at all of the evidence in the case.
