A Latrobe man told a Westmoreland County judge Tuesday he no longer wanted to see his former girlfriend prosecuted for stabbing him in the chest last year.
“We had a long relationship and I did a lot of things that wasn’t reported. My last case was dismissed, so this should be too,” Leonard Spagnolo testified during the hearing in which his former girlfriend pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of simple assault.
Prosecutors said Heather Little, 36, of Latrobe stabbed Spagnolo in the chest with a knife following a domestic dispute in their home on Feb. 29, 2024. Police said Spagnolo was found covered in blood and suffering from a chest wound. According to court records, Little initially denied the allegations and claimed Spagnolo stabbed himself.
Felony counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault were dismissed against Little, as were related stalking and harassment charges filed in a separate case.
Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro said the prosecution declined Spagnolo’s request to drop all charges against Little, but agreed to a sentence that included no jail time.
Little told the judge it was in her best interest to plead guilty to one lesser charge.
“He was abusive and what he did to me was nothing to sneeze at, too,” Little said.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger imposed terms of a negotiated plea deal that called for Little to serve 18 months on probation and have no abusive contact with Spagnolo.
