A transient who was convicted of murder in Florida 18 years ago and accused of threatening a man with a hatchet in a Burbank park pleaded not guilty Monday to assault.
Leo Jason Cox, 42, is charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
He was arrested Jan. 20 in McCambridge Park. Authorities said Cox began yelling at a man who had just gotten out of a vehicle near the park around 2:10 p.m., then approached him while raising a hatchet above his head. The man was not injured.
Cox faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the charge.
Prosecutors said Cox was convicted of murder 18 years ago in Gainesville, Florida, and was convicted in 2014 of assault with a deadly weapon.
He is due back in court Feb. 4, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
–City News Service