Inset: Jacob E. Masters (Palm Springs Police Department). Background: The CV Link trail where Masters stabbed an elderly stranger (YouTube/Gordon Thomas).
A 53-year-old man from California has been sentenced to nearly ten years in prison following an unprovoked stabbing of an elderly stranger on a hiking trail last year. The incident occurred after the victim merely made eye contact with the attacker.
On Monday, Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker sentenced Jacob Ethan Masters to eight years in a state prison for the assault. The decision followed Masters’ guilty plea to a charge of elder abuse resulting in significant injury, with an added penalty for harming a person over 70 years old.
This plea was part of an agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, which saw prosecutors drop several other charges against Masters, including attempted murder and resisting arrest.
According to a statement from the Palm Springs Police Department, officers responded to a stabbing report on December 31, 2025, around 2:40 p.m. The incident took place on the CV Link, a trail designed for pedestrians and low-speed electric vehicles, near Cathedral Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. The victim had called 911, reporting the attack which occurred around 11:30 a.m. that day.
The victim recounted to investigators that he was walking along the trail when he briefly locked eyes with a man while passing by. Later, as he headed home, the suspect, having remained in the area, donned a ski mask and aggressively approached him, shouting obscenities before knocking him to the ground and fleeing. It was only after the victim defended himself and the perpetrator fled that he realized he had been stabbed.
“The victim said that about 15 minutes later, as he headed toward home, the suspect was still in the area,” the release states. “The suspect reportedly put on a ski mask, approached while yelling profanities, and assaulted the victim, knocking him to the ground. The victim fought back, and the suspect fled on foot. After the altercation, the victim learned he had been stabbed.”
The victim was treated at a Coachella Valley hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and was later released.
Evidence collected, including witness statements and a 1.5-second video clip appearing to show the assailant, led detectives to identify Masters, of Palm Springs, as the primary suspect.
On Jan. 11, officers located Masters in the 5600 block of E. Ramon Road. When officers attempted to detain him, Masters fled the area on foot and was apprehended following a brief chase. He was then transported and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility.
