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Sonoma County Man Sentenced In Machete Attack

SANTA ROSA (CBS / AP) -- A Sonoma County man has been sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison for trying to kill his girlfriend with a machete.

After being convicted in March of attempted murder, mayhem and other charges, Sonoma County prosecutors say Javier Gonzalez-Rodriguez on Thursday was ordered to serve the maximum sentence of 15 years and eight months.

During his trial, prosecutors told jurors that Gonzalez-Rodriguez tried to kill the 26-year-old woman in August 2009 when he attacked her with a machete at a homeless camp where the two lived.

The woman, according to investigators, was trying to end their relationship before she was attacked.

She survived the attack, but suffered a skull fracture and fractures in her hand. Prosecutors say the 44-year-old Gonzalez-Rodriguez will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)

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