The 37-year-old Albert Lea man charged with the slashing of a woman’s neck in July pleaded guilty to one second-degree assault charge as part of a plea agreement on Tuesday.

In exchange, the other three charges against Marco Antonio Morales — including one charge of first-degree assault, one charge of second-degree assault and one charge of third-degree assault — would be dropped, according to the agreement.

He is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m.

Morales was arrested July 14, after officers received a 911 call just before 10:30 p.m. from a downtown tattoo parlor, at the time called Inkaholics, of a reported slashing of a 38-year-old woman’s neck with a sword at a nearby apartment. She had come to the tattoo business because it was open late at night.

When officers first arrived at the tattoo establishment at 102 Clark St., they saw a woman leaving the business they recognized as a tenant at 121 1/2 N. Broadway Ave., according to court papers. The woman was holding the right side of her head.

She told authorities that Morales, at the same apartment, had done this to her, files state.

Officers went up to the apartment and arrested him.

A 27-year-old man who had been in the apartment told officers Morales swung the sword at the woman after the two got into an argument.

The files also state Morales had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath, and his eyes were bloodshot and watery.

Morales pleaded not guilty to all counts in September and was scheduled for a jury trial on Tuesday.

He had no known criminal history.

Look to AlbertLeaTribune.com for more detailed coverage of the plea agreement.