Woman Receives 12 Yr. Sentence For Stabbing UES Juice Bar Worker
Cha’la Jamison stabbed Luis Morocho Vasquez, an employee at Savoy Plaza Juice Island, multiple times in April 2023. She pled guilty to attempted murder charges on Jan. 31, 2024, according to the Manhattan DA’s office. Vasquez had reportedly argued with Jamison about a declined debit card.
| 01 Mar 2024 | 10:35
Twenty-four year-old Cha’la Jamison, pictured above, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to an April 2023 stabbing at an UES juice bar. (
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A 24 year-old woman that stabbed an employee at an UES juice bar last April has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to prosecutors.
Cha’la Jamison pled guilty to one count of attempted murder for the incident on Jan. 31, 2024. She’ll also have to comply with 5 years of post-release supervision, the DA’s office said on Feb. 21, the day they announced her sentence.
On April 12, 2023, Jamison went to purchase an item at the Savoy Plaza Juice Island–located on 3rd Ave. and E. 61st St.–at around 6:30 p.m. Prosecutors said that she began to argue with Luis Morocho Vasquez, a 39 year-old employee of the juice bar, after her debit card was declined during an order. He told her to take the drink, anyway, so that he could serve other customers.
Jamison began throwing things at Vasquez, prosecutors say, in addition to toppling various items onto the juice bar’s floor. She then stormed out of the establishment, but not before promising to stab Vasquez later.
She returned while Vasquez was cleaning up the back of the store at around 8:30 p.m. She then quickly grabbed a knife from behind the store’s counter and stabbed Vasquez multiple times, prosecutors said. He suffered injuries to his hand, arm, neck, and head. Stitches were required for most of the wounds, while his hand required surgery. Prosecutors note that Vasquez still struggles with limited mobility and numbness in the affected hand.
Jamison was arrested on April 17, 2023, when NYPD officers searching her apartment found her attempting to flee via a fire escape. She had a green bag with her that contained clothing she wore during the time of the stabbing, including a wig and a pair of blood-stained shoes. During a further search of Jamison’s residence, they found more clothing that was connected to the April 13 incident.
“Cha’la Jamison ferociously attacked and seriously injured a New Yorker who was just doing his job,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, in a statement accompanying the sentencing.
“This attack has significantly impacted the victim, who continues to suffer physical pain and emotional trauma, and has been unable to work,” he added.