Grants man is arrested at motel

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — An incident where one man was allegedly teasing and agitating dogs turned violent resulting in a felony arrest and a man going to the hospital for head injuries.

Victor Diaz, 42, of 1101 E. Santa Fe Ave., was arrested by Grants police and charged in connection with one count each of aggravated assault and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon on Jan. 5.

He faces up to 4.5 years in state prison a fine of $10,000, or both, if he is prosecuted and convicted of both charges.
Police responded to a call of a fight occurring at the Franciscan Motel about 8 p.m. When officers arrived they observed one man sitting near the road covered in blood and Diaz standing near the motel, according to Cibola County Magistrate Court records.

Diaz told police the man covered in blood was agitating Diaz’s dogs and was asked to stop, Grants Police Detective Sgt. James Spidle said.

After Diaz put his dogs inside the motel, he saw the victim walk toward Outlaws Bar, which is about 100 feet west of the motel on Santa Fe Avenue, according to Cibola County Magistrate Court records.

Grants Police Cpl. Salvador Corral’s probable cause statement, filed in Magistrate Court, stated that Diaz said he grabbed a metal rod when he saw the victim walking back toward him after leaving Outlaws Bar.

Diaz said he swung the metal rod at the victim, then put the rod down. At this point, the victim attacked Diaz from behind, knocking him down near a pile of wood. Diaz then picked up a piece of wood and struck the victim as he was trying to choke Diaz, according to court records.

Spidle said an eyewitness told police that the witness saw Diaz hit the victim with the wood, but did not see any choking or attack.

“The wood was split, like you would use in a wood stove, and had sharp edges on it, that is why we charged Diaz with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in addition to the assault charge,” Spidle said.

The victim was transported to Cibola General Hospital and treated for his injuries. Whether he was released or admitted is not known since the hospital will not release information about patients, citing federal privacy laws.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197