Velarde pleads not guilty in stabbing

The man charged with stabbing one person and injuring another downtown Le Mars in April pleaded not guilty last week.

Christopher Velarde, 23, of Maurice, now face a July 22 trial for willfully causing serious injury, a class C felony, and assaulting someone, causing injury, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Velarde was arrested on April 28 after a fight that broke out at 2 a.m. on a sidewalk on Central Avenue.

Both Joshua Thompson, 26, and Melody Ropte, 30, of Le Mars received non-life-threatening stab wounds or knife cuts, according to the original report from the Le Mars Police Department.

Afterward, Velarde tried to run away from the scene of the crime on foot, but witnesses chased him down, according to the police.

Police determined only Velarde had a knife.

Velarde was booked into the Plymouth County Jail. He is being held there on a $10,000 bond.

No charges were filed against Thompson or Ropte.

When Velarde entered his plea of not guilty, his attorney also filed a request for a speedy trial, which calls for a trial within 90 days.