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Auburn Teen Pleads Guilty to Assault in Fingerlakes Mall Stabbing

James T. Rio, 18, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in connection with a stabbing at Fingerlakes Mall.

2 reports on this incident · first at Sep 4, 2026, 4:17 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Sep 4, 2026, 3:28 a.m. ETWritten Sep 4, 2026, 4:22 a.m. ET
James T. Rio, 18, of Auburn, guilty to second-degree assault in connection with a stabbing at Fingerlakes Mall, according to FingerLakes1.com. The plea was reported on September 4, 2026. State police said Rio followed a 19-year-old victim and struck him with a pool cue, then pulled a knife, chased the victim into the parking lot, and stabbed him in the right side of the chest. The charge carries a maximum sentence of . Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

Earlier reports

  1. Sep 4, 2026, 4:17 a.m. ETFirst report

    Auburn Teen Pleads Guilty in Fingerlakes Mall Stabbing

    James T. Rio, 18, of Auburn, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in connection with a stabbing at Fingerlakes Mall, according to FingerLakes1.com. The incident occurred on an unspecified date; the report was published September 4, 2026.

    State police reported that Rio followed a 19-year-old victim and struck him with a pool cue, then pulled a knife, chased the victim into the parking lot, and stabbed him in the right side of the chest. Rio faces up to seven years in prison, according to FingerLakes1.com.

    The investigation is ongoing, and the exact date of the incident has not been established.

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Revision history

  1. Version 14 Sept 2026, 08:22current

    First published.

  2. Version 14 Sept 2026, 08:17current

    First published.

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