A Virginia Man Stole His Target Coworker's Lunch. So the Colleague Trained for His Murder and Stabbed Him to Death.

A man in Virginia has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for the brutal 2021 murder of his co-worker, who he said stole his lunch, according to authorities.

On April 14, 2021, 58-year-old Hernan Leiva, a janitor at the Target in Falls Church, took the lunch of 25-year-old Bazn Berhe from the office fridge, according to the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

After the incident, Berhe told investigators that he began plotting the murder. On April 15, 2021, Berhe purchased a hammer and two knives while leaving his shift at Target.

On April 16, 2021, Berhe told detectives he spent the day “training for the murder,” officials said.

On April 17, 2021, he put his plan into action. Berhe arrived early at the employee parking lot and waited for Leiva to arrive, authorities said.

When Leiva arrived, Berhe attacked him, stabbing and bludgeoning him to death before fleeing the scene. Police apprehended him and Berhe immediately confessed to the crime. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October 2023.

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On Jan. 30, officials announced that Berhe was sentenced to 100 years behind bars for the death of Leiva. The sentence included 30 years suspended, so Berhe will serve 70 years of active incarceration, officials said.

During his sentencing hearing, prosecutors said Berhe threatened to kill or hurt other people if he was not given the harshest possible sentence.

In a statement, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said, "In this case, because of the unique and self-proclaimed danger the defendant continues to pose to the community, today’s sentence was a necessary outcome for maintaining public safety."