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Avila assault suspect is a registered sex offender

February 10, 2010

BY KAREN VELIE

A man recently accused of slicing the throat of a man at a bar in Avila Beach is a Megan’s List sex offender as the result of convictions for “continuous sexual abuse of a child.” He was charged with attempted murder on Feb. 5 and is scheduled to be arraigned in San Luis Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 10.

Late Friday night, Atascadero resident Michael Simmons, 43, was observed arguing with Pismo Beach resident David Stratton over politics at Mr. Rick’s. Stratton then placed his hand on Simmons shoulder and said “You ain’t nothing,” according to eyewitnesses.

Simmons responded by moving closer to Stratton and slicing his neck with a prison-like shank, a knife-like weapon wrapped in tape. He then slipped the weapon to his wife, Janet Simmons, 50, witnesses said.

Following the incident, the couple calmly sat down and Michael Simmons told the bartender that “nothing happened,”  according to witnesses. They remained at the bar, sipping their drinks, until sheriff’s deputies arrived.

“He was totally calm like nothing had happened,” one eyewitness who asked to remain unnamed said. “Stratton let go of his neck and the skin just flopped down. Doctors put in 300 stitches.”

Michael and Janet Simmons were arrested and charged with attempted murder. Jane Simmons, a Diablo PG&E steam generator project external communications worker, is also charged with conspiracy and public drunkenness.

They remain in San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $500,000 each.


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It has become apparant that earlier reports that Janet Simmons would be charged with attempted murder were bogus.


The Tribune is now reporting that Janet Simmons is only being charged with “aiding a felon” for attempting to hide the weapon used by her husband. For those of us that know Janet, this makes a lot more sense and sounds a lot more reasonable. It’s also a relief for those of us that know her to hear that she is out on bail.


I continue to believe that the only reason law enforcement is leaning on Janet is in an attempt to pressure her in to testifying against her husband. I bet they will offer to make the “aiding a felon” charge go away if she helps them convict her husband. You don’t have to watch too many episodes of Law And Order to see that one coming.


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Grew up there from the sixties on, this kind of thing is a regularity, the millions unocal put into the town forced the poor people out and the bar croud has not changed one bit, except the drinks cost three times as much, because there’s only 1/3 the residents to buy them. I’ve had my share of sunday whiskey drink glasses to the chin stitches, drunks don’t fight fare, and criminals don’t cop to nothing,”“He was totally calm like nothing had happened,” just like in prison. The wife should be charged with aidind and abetting at the least, They committed the crime as a team and should be rolled up accourdinly, handed her the bloody knife, a good cover up wife, assessory to atempted murder would be more appropriate, and to cut some one’s throat hese two should never get out.


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Some of you commenter’s just have to be kidding! The man that got his throat slit and required 300 stitches identified his attacker. There were plenty of witnesses. The police found that Jane (the attackers wife) had the weapon hidden in her bra. What the hell more do you want? She might be a nice person at work but she acted as “looney” as the man she married. They ( the police) don’t have 500K bail on her for nothing. Jane is an accomplice to attempted murder, plain and simple. She hid the weapon and tried to say nothing happened. I also have news for many of you nay-sayers. The person who got his throat cut was known as the local As*hole at Mr. Ricks so the witnesses have no reason to say they saw what they saw unless they saw what they saw.


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Wow!! On the bright side of things (other than Mr. S. is goiong to be o.k.), another high paying job is going to be opening up at Diablo. I wonder how to apply………..


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Good to know Diablo Canyon staff are honorable.


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Yep, and Ghod forbid anyone out there EVER smoke pot or engage in anything slightly human.

The whole “better than anyone else” attitude that qualifies someone to work is stupid and nonproductive.

Standards set by the moral majority seldom benefit the majority.


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Just because Ms. Simmons might have participated, that has nothing to do with the quality of her being a good or bad employee or others at Diablo.


That said I also think to compare pot smoking to possible accompolice of murder is down right silly. I for one have no problem with pot smokers. I do have problems with accompolices. Based on what has been said in press so far, it is my understanding that after the attack, they both went back and sat down like nothing happened and if she had the shive in her bra, then obviously she was a knowing and willing accompolice. She could have told him NO. She also could have went to offer help to the injured man. She made her choice. It was a bad one.


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What a strange story. This guy sounds like a complete lunatic that belongs at ASH. What really floors me is that people in the Tribune blogs said what a nice, wonderful, professional person his wife is. Well she is married to this murderous ” sex offender” that committed this act and then she sat at the bar along with her husband acting as if nothing happened! She even hid the weapon. They both need to be locked up.


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Nancy I have an idea lets hang everybody that has been accused of a crime, doesn’t matter if we know what happened hang em all. Because the news said they did it. Also we should hang everybody who ever married anyone who has been accused of a crime. I think you have the answer to the over population problem. Then we can all be perfect like you.


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I don’t find it odd that she has been given more charges than her husband. The police are going to try to get her to testify against him. They will offer to dismiss the most serious charges if she will testify. If it went to trial, the chances of convicting her of attempted murder are zero… because the only thing she attempted was to hide the weapon. However, they will use the threat of an attempted murder trial to scare her and to get her to testify against him. The fact that they charged her with attempted murder in the first place was simply to achieve a very high bail amount and to scare the crap out of her in order to get her cooperation against the hubby later.


By the way, Cal Coast News, her name is Janet and not Jane.


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He should have to spend a little quality time with his victim before sentencing ,pay back is a bi!ch.


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Now comes the part the will really infuriate people. The guy will get convicted of attempted murder but will have to be seperated from the general prison population for his own protection, because he has prior of child molestion.


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