Costa Mesa man gets over 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder in 2016 burglary and stabbings of mom and 2 sons

A Costa Mesa man pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the stabbings of a mother and her two sons during a burglary in 2016 and was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in state prison, the Orange County district attorney’s office said.

Israel Larios Jr., 23, pleaded guilty Friday to eight felony counts, including three counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of first-degree burglary and one count of criminal threats, court records show.

He originally had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Some possible sentencing enhancements were reduced since the original charges were filed.

Larios broke into an apartment in the 1900 block of Wallace Avenue in Costa Mesa on Oct. 18, 2016. When a woman and her sons, ages 11 and 17, returned home at about 7:30 p.m., Larios was standing in the older son’s bedroom, police said at the time.

Larios told the woman in Spanish, “Shut up, I’m here to kill you,” before grabbing her left arm and swiping at her stomach with a knife, police said.

The woman shouted for her sons, who ran to her aid. Larios stabbed both of them before fleeing the apartment.

The teenager recalled hearing Larios say, “I’ll get my gang and I’ll kill you,” according to authorities.

The mother and the 17-year-old were treated for their wounds at an area hospital. The 11-year-old underwent surgery for multiple stab wounds to his torso, authorities said. All the victims survived.

The crime left neighbors on edge.

“I don’t feel safe,” said a resident who had lived on Wallace Avenue for six years before the stabbings. “I thought it was a safe neighborhood when I moved in, but it has gotten worse and worse.”

Larios graduated in 2014 from Estancia High School in Costa Mesa and played for the school football team.