A Virginia man, Bazn Berhe, has been sentenced to 100 years in prison, with 30 years suspended, for the brutal stabbing and beating of his co-worker, 58-year-old Hernan Leiva, over allegations of stolen lunch.
The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney disclosed the sentencing on Tuesday, January 30,revealing that Berhe will effectively serve 70 years behind bars.
Berhe, 25, confessed to the crime and entered a guilty plea for first-degree murder in October 2023.
According to prosecutors, the tragic incident occurred on April 17, 2021, in the parking lot of the Target in Baileys Crossroads, where both Berhe and Leiva were employed.
Berhe’s motive stemmed from his belief that Leiva, a janitor at the store, had stolen his lunch from the work fridge on April 14, 2021.
Training for the murder
Prosecutors detailed a disturbing timeline, asserting that over the next three days, Berhe meticulously planned Leiva’s murder. He purchased a hammer and two knives after accusing Leiva and spent the following day “training for the murder.”
On the day of the fatal incident, Berhe waited for Leiva in the parking lot. Upon Leiva’s arrival for his shift, Berhe allegedly attacked him, fatally stabbing and bludgeoning him before fleeing the scene.
During the sentencing hearing, Berhe reportedly issued threats, expressing a willingness to “kill or hurt other people if he was not given the harshest sentence possible,” according to Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.
