KINGMAN —A Kingman man who repeatedly punched a teenager while on probation for a 2024 aggravated assault conviction has avoided a possible prison term. Samuel Van Pelt, 20, was reinstated on probation for the first conviction and placed on supervised probation for the second aggravated assault.
Van Pelt entered the victim’s residence in the 4000 block of Arizona Street on Aug. 21, before striking the 18-year-old male multiple times. Authorities said Van Pelt was upset about the victim’s treatment of a teenage family member.
Defense attorney Tony Rogers said Van Pelt engaged in an “impulsive act to defend the honor of a girl.”
“I should have went about it the right way,” Van Pelt told Judge Billy Sipe during his Oct. 21 sentencing hearing. “I’m just asking for a second chance your Honor.”
The defendant’s father conceded his son has some violence in his past, but informed the Court that Van Pelt’s behavior and demeanor have improved. Neither the prosecutor nor the probation department urged Sipe to order further incarceration.
“You’re going home with your family today as opposed to going to prison,” Sipe said. “Where your life goes from here is in your hands.”
