LEWISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania man has been convicted of third-degree murder after a confrontation that a witness said was sparked by a comparison to SpongeBob SquarePants.

Prosecutors say 39-year-old Robert S. Lee stabbed Jamal Britton in July 2016 at a Lewisburg apartment complex.

PennLive.com reports witness Qaisha Jacobs told the jury Britton, the father of her son, was angry after Lee told him he looked like the anthropomorphic cartoon sponge.

Lee acknowledged swinging a knife at Britton but said he was unsure if he struck him. He said he was afraid that the angry, advancing Britton might have had a gun.

Lee drove away and threw his knife into a river. Britton walked to a nearby playground and was eventually taken to a hospital, where he died.

Lee was convicted Wednesday. He remains in jail pending sentencing.

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