Cedar Rapids teen gets 25 years in beating, robbery

CEDAR RAPIDS – A 19-year-old was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday in Linn County District Court  after being convicted in January for beating and robbing a man last year.

Ethen Ayers, of Cedar Rapids, assaulted and robbed Matthew Dostal, a Penford employee, who was walking home along 1st Street SW on Jan. 3, 2010.

Ayers co-defendant, Vincent Connors, 18, was also convicted of robbery in the January jury trial and two others pleaded guilty for their part in the robbery.

Dostal submitted a victim's impact statement to the court but the judge didn't read it in open court.

Ayers declined to speak before being sentenced.

Besides the robbery charge, Ayers was also sentenced to five years in prison for going armed with intent in another case. He pleaded guilty to that charge after his trial in January. The five years will be run concurrently to the robbery sentence.

The robbery sentence is a mandatory 25 years, so Ayers won't be eligible until 70 percent of the sentence is served.

During the trial, Dostal testified he was first approached by Vincent Connors who brandished a weapon and demanded money. Ayers then got involved and helped Connors beat and stab Dostal in the side and back with a knife. Connors was found with a butterfly knife and another knife with a 6-inch fixed blade.

Dostal suffered serious wounds, which badly damaged his ribcage and continues to cause him pain.

The attack happened in the front yard of 1300 1st St. and the homeowners of that residence stopped the beating when they came outside and scared the attackers away, according to trial testimony.