JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A man pleaded guilty to trying to kill his grandfather.
The trial of Alfred Lee Johnson, 26, was about to start when he pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder with a weapon, grand theft auto, and fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.
Police say Johnson attacked his grandfather by stabbing him in the face, arm, and stomach, all because his grandfather had asked for help in carrying jugs of water from the car. Johnson then stole his grandfather's car and led police on a chase for about two miles before officers stopped and arrested him.
Johnson was living with his grandparents at the time of the attack.
"It's a shame that someone can do that to a person who opened their house to him and was trying to help him," said Assistant State Attorney David Thompson. "I'm glad he took some responsibility for what he did and did not make his grandmother and grandfather take the stand against him."
Johnson is a habitual felony offender with a 2003 conviction for carjacking, and a 2006 conviction for grand theft auto in Jacksonville. He also spent time in a prison in Maryland for car theft. Johnson faces life in prison. He will be sentenced in January.
