July jury trial set for Woodland man accused of a machete attack on elderly Fairfield man

A Solano County Superior Court judge set a July trial date for a 46-year-old Woodland man charged with a 2018 attempted murder in which the defendant used a machete to attack and injure an elderly man in rural Fairfield.

Brandon Clark Foster appeared Monday morning in court for a readiness conference and a trial setting in Judge E. Bradley Nelson’s courtroom in Fairfield.

After conferring with attorneys, Judge Nelson set a trial management conference for June 26 and the jury trial for July 7.

The latest proceedings in Foster’s felony case came a month after Nelson rescheduled the defendant’s trial because the victim’s wife died in the early hours of Jan. 8, just as some 50 prospective jurors gathered for a trial selection process.

During the January proceeding, Nelson reminded Foster that, because he had withdrawn his not-guilty plea by reason of insanity, he faced two life sentences if convicted at trial.

According to court records, Foster is charged with using a machete in March 2018 to attack Bobby R. Watson, 74 at the time.

The assault left Watson with life-threatening injuries and the near-amputation of a thumb, alleged crimes that came to vivid light during a preliminary hearing 16 months ago.

Foster, whose arrest and conviction record for theft, drug possession, and DUI, among other crimes, dates back to 1992, has pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated attempted murder, aggravated mayhem, and cruelty to an elder with risk of great bodily injury.

During the mid-October 2018 preliminary hearing, Deputy District Attorney Mary Nguyen called on witnesses, some of whom saw Foster attack Watson on or near Abernathy Road. Foster allegedly first attacked him outside his home when Watson went to check on a power shut-off, which investigators believe Foster was responsible for.

Court records indicate Solano County Sheriff’s deputies arrived in the area of Abernathy and Rockville roads shortly before 10 a.m. after receiving a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. First responders found Watson suffering from major cuts over his entire body. By that time, Foster allegedly had fled the scene.

The victim and witnesses then gave authorities a description of the defendant. Around 10:30 a.m., deputies found Foster hiding in a nearby orchard and also found the machete believed to have been used in the attack. He was arrested and booked into Solano County Jail, with bail set at $1 million.

Foster is represented by Deputy Public Defender Jeanette Garcia.