Virginia man sentenced to 100 years for stabbing, beating Target co-worker to death over stolen lunch

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A Virginia man was sentenced to 100 years in prison for murdering a co-worker who stole his lunch from their work refrigerator at Target.

Bazn Berhe, 25, received the 100-year sentence with 30 years suspended, meaning he will serve 70 years of active incarceration, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney announced Tuesday, according to Fox 5 DC.

Berhe was charged with first-degree murder after beating and stabbing his coworker Hernan Leiva, 58, to death in the parking lot of the Target in Bailey’s Crossroads on the morning of April 17, 2021. Berhe was angry that Leiva, who was a janitor at Target, had taken his lunch from the office fridge three days earlier, according to prosecutors.

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Bazn Berhe was sentenced to 100 years in prison for murdering a co-worker who stole his lunch from their work refrigerator at Target. (Fairfax County Police Department)

After his lunch was stolen, Berhe began planning the murder of his co-worker. On April 15, he purchased a hammer and two knives as he was leaving his shift at Target. He told detectives that he spent the next day, April 16, “training for the murder.”

On the morning of April 17, Berhe carried out the murder. He arrived at the employee parking lot early and waited for Leiva to arrive.

When Leiva arrived, Berhe stabbed and bludgeoned him to death before fleeing the scene.

Berhe confessed to the killing immediately and pleaded guilty in October 2023 to first-degree murder.

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Bazn Berhe stabbed and bludgeoned Hernan Leiva to death in Target’s employee parking lot. (Reuters)

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Prosecutors said at Berhe’s sentencing hearing that he threatened to kill or hurt other people if he was not given the harshest possible sentence.

“Mr. Leiva’s unnecessary and tragic death leaves behind a grieving family and community, one that will never be the same after such a senseless act of violence,” Commonweath’s Attorney Steve Descano said. “In this case, because of the unique and self-proclaimed danger the defendant continues to pose to the community, today’s sentence was a necessary outcome for maintaining public safety.”