A reno man was adjudicated as a habitual criminal on Thursday for one count of robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of battery with a deadly weapon due to five prior felony convictions he had including prior assault with a deadly weapon. 

38-year-old Juan Arellano-Guerrero was sentenced to five to 20 years on the habitual, replacing count 1, and on count 2 he was sentenced to three to ten years, concurrent to count 1.

In July 2023, Arellano-Guerrero walked into Meadowood Mall and stole more than $200 in merchandise.

When two mall security officers tried to stop and detain him, Arellano-Guerrero pulled out a small cutting tool, described as something similar to garden shears and slashed at the two security officers. 

He cut one of them in the cheek and the other in the forearm. 

The officers let him go and he fled the scene. 

Both the officers were treated for their injuries at the time.

The Reno Police Department investigating the crime was able to identify Arellano-Guerrero from distinct tattoos they had seen on video surveillance footage they had gathered as evidence. 

He was found and arrested three days after the crimes.