Trial delayed for panhandler who allegedly pulled a knife

Published 1:30 am Monday, May 21, 2018

EVERETT — A panhandler accused of pulling a knife on a man holding a baby won’t go to trial this month as planned.

The victim was outside a south Everett sushi restaurant, holding his 1-year-old son at the time of the incident in July 2017, according to the charges.

Albert Thelen, 58, faces a life sentence if convicted as charged, with attempted first-degree robbery. Prosecutors allege that he asked for money, threatened to kill the man and then stabbed his car.

Prosecutors believe the case may be Thelen’s third-strike under the state’s persistent offender law. His previous strike convictions, second-degree assault and first-degree child molestation, date back more than two decades.

On Friday, the trial was rescheduled for late July.