A Hancock man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of attempted second-degree murder and unlawful trespass in the stabbing of a chef at a local restaurant.
Jozef Eller, 32, was arrested Saturday in Rochester after he fled the stabbing of Robert Barral, the chef and owner of Café Provence in Brandon, according to a Vermont State Police press release.
Barral, Eller’s former employer, survived the attack and was treated at Rutland Regional Medical Center, according to a court affidavit.
According to a court affidavit, Eller entered Café Provence on Saturday, despite Eller having received a no trespass order in August forbidding entry to the cafe.
When Barral confronted Eller to remind him of the no trespass order, Eller allegedly attacked Barral with a knife, stabbing him several times, according to multiple witness accounts cited in the affidavit.
Barral suffered wounds to his head, left shoulder, left arm, left hand and his right finger, according to the affidavit.
“We believe that the affidavit describes a vicious attack in broad daylight at the victim’s place of employment,” Rutland County State’s Attorney Ian Sullivan said during the arraignment hearing.
“The severity of the attack, we believe, is demonstrated by the number and placement of the wounds the victim received from Mr. Eller’s attack,” Sullivan said.
Eller was a longtime Café Provence employee but stopped working there more than a year ago, allegedly due to declining mental health, according to the affidavit.
If convicted, Eller could face life in prison, with a minimum sentence of 20 years, for the charge of second-degree attempted murder. The charge of unlawful trespass could bring him a three-month sentence and/or a fine of $500.
Eller, who joined the arraignment remotely from Southern State Correctional Facility, will be preliminarily held without bail until a hearing where the court will weigh the evidence against him.
