VAN NUYS : Man Sentenced in Screwdriver Attack

A Woodland Hills man was sentenced Thursday to 735 days in jail for attacking a store owner with a screwdriver in a confrontation over a bad check, the city attorney’s office said.

Joseph R. LeFebvre, 35, was sentenced by Van Nuys Municipal Judge Robert Wallerstein, who ordered him to begin serving the jail term immediately.

LeFebvre was convicted July 21 of one count each of assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a weapon and making a terrorist threat, said Deputy City Atty. Laura Van Eyk, who is handling the case.

Eyk said 370 days of the jail term were imposed because LeFebvre was found to be in violation of four probation terms stemming from previous convictions in the Los Angeles area. Two of those were for assault with a deadly weapon and battery on a police officer, she said.

LeFebvre tried to pass a bad check for $100 to the owner of a Van Nuys auto parts store May 22, and then ran into the owner two weeks later, Van Eyk said. When the store owner confronted him, LeFebvre attacked the victim with a screwdriver, Van Eyk said.