Sentencing delayed in attempted murder of Upland police officer

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- A sentencing hearing was postponed today for a man convicted by a jury of attempting to murder an Upland police officer by stabbing him in the course of a burglary.

Authorities said Johnny Joe Magallanez, 28, slashed the officer with a four-inch blade in December 2007 when the officer responded to a burglary call at a Mervyn's store on Mountain Avenue.

Magallanez, of the Northern California city of Corning, had stacked boxes near an exit of the store before police arrived.

Magallanez's sentencing is now scheduled for Sept. 23, said an employee of the clerk's office at West Valley Superior Court. He faces a prison sentence of 20 years to life.