MARION, Va. (WJHL) — A teenager pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder Wednesday after authorities said he attacked a gas station clerk in Chilhowie last year.

Jose Rodriguez, 16, entered an open plea, meaning he was not offered a plea deal, according to Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip Blevins.

Police accused Rodriguez of entering the Exxon gas station at 409 Whitetop Creek Road early on the morning of July 13, 2024, and attacking a clerk with a fixed-blade knife. Rodriguez and the clerk reportedly fought for control of the weapon before another person saw the commotion and assisted the clerk in disarming Rodriguez, who then fled in a car.

Rodriguez was arrested in Tennessee about an hour after the alleged attack.

Chilhowie police said Rodriguez, who was 15 at the time, was a runaway from Massachusetts.

The court granted Commonwealth’s Attorney Blevins’s request to try Rodriguez as an adult.

“The senseless attack committed by Rodriguez not only inflicted profound suffering upon the victim but also sent shockwaves throughout Smyth County,” Blevins said in a statement. “While no legal outcome can erase the pain endured, today’s verdict serves as a crucial step toward justice and accountability. My office and I extend our deepest gratitude to the exemplary law enforcement officers from the Chilhowie Police Department and Smyth County Sheriff’s Office.”

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 20.