Roseville man sentenced to life in prison for killing his father and attacking his mother

A Roseville man was sentenced Thursday to 40 years to life in prison for the murder of his veteran father and the attempted murder of his mother, according to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office. A jury found 48-year-old Eric Bryant guilty of fatally stabbing his 72-year-old father, retired Col. Charles Cinnamon, in 2018. The prosecutor’s office said Bryant used household items to stab his father, including a garden stake. His mother tried to call 911, but Bryant attacked her until she lost consciousness. The prosecutor’s office said Cinnamon spent more than 30 years in the U.S. Air Force. He was highly decorated, receiving the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Force commendation and more. After his retirement, he remained active as a liaison for Beale Air Force Base. The prosecutor’s office said Bryant was living in a trailer outside his parents’ home at the time of the attack. Bryant was angry that they wouldn’t buy him a car. He confessed to the attack and told investigators that he had decided to take her car to drive to Los Angeles to perform as a street performer. “The defendant violated a position of trust and chose to violently attack his parents after they generously opened their home and supported him,” Senior Assistant District Attorney Lisa Botwinik said in a news release. “His actions were the ultimate betrayal and he will be held accountable for his terrible actions.” Find more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.