In a recent turn of events, 22-year-old Sandra Figueroa pleaded no contest to the charges of attempted murder, which included aggravating factors and enhancements. This plea follows an incident dating back to March 2020, wherein Figueroa was accused of orchestrating a plot to kill a co-worker from the Boys and Girls Club in East Palo Alto. As reported by the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, the attack involved luring the victim under the guise of socializing, only to result in a violent assault that saw the victim stabbed thrice in the neck.

Sandra Figueroa (22) pled no contest to attempted murder plus aggravating factors and enhancements. Mar '20, Figueroa plotted to kill the victim, setting up time to "hang out" and then stabbed her in the neck 3 times, fleeing the scene, arrested later near the US -Mexico border. pic.twitter.com/WpnmtkrCwK

— San Mateo County District Attorney (@SanMateoCoDA) August 8, 2024

Details of the arrest surfaced when officers in Redwood City responded to a call late on a Tuesday night in the 100 block of Bonita Avenue. The victim of the stabbing was found injured but alive. Her wounds, while serious, were not life-threatening, per the authorities' report. An initial warrant was issued for Figueroa's arrest after she eluded the scene and was later apprehended near the US-Mexico border following an unrelated traffic collision. This sequence of events was elucidated by CBS San Francisco.

Adding to the gravity of the case, the San Mateo Daily Journal reported that Figueroa faces the possibility of a life sentence, emphasizing that premeditation and deliberation factored into the attack. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe stated, "Figueroa and her 17-year-old girlfriend allegedly plotted to kill Figueroa’s 20-year-old co-worker on March 17 for reasons that remain unclear". The elaborate plot even involved Figueroa's girlfriend acting as a lookout while the assault unfolded.

Initially, detectives did not believe the attack was premeditated, leading to a lesser charge of assault with a deadly weapon for Figueroa. However, more information uncovered led to a re-evaluation of the charges. "After gathering more information, Figueroa at her subsequent court appearance was recharged", Wagstaffe revealed, as per the San Mateo Daily Journal. The new developments in the case increased Figueroa's bail, set now at $750,000, reflecting the severity of the crime.