A Las Cruces man suspected of using a baseball bat to beat a man Monday morning on Avenida de Mesilla has been arrested and charged with three felonies.
Javier J. Hernandez, 35, of the 300 block of north Mesquite Street, is charged with one count each of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence. The battery charge is a third-degree felony count while the assault and tampering charges are fourth-degree felonies.
At around 2:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14, Las Cruces Police were dispatched to a fight with injuries on the 200 block of Avenida de Mesilla. Upon arrival, officers found a man who had multiple non-life-threatening injuries to his legs, arms and upper torso.
Detectives learned that the man was walking along Avenida de Mesilla when his estranged wife drove by and began arguing. The woman stopped her pickup and Hernandez, her boyfriend, exited and began to beat the victim.
Detectives learned that Hernandez used a baseball bat to strike the victim and threatened to stab him with a folding pocket knife.
Hernandez and the woman then left the scene and drove to the apartment at 805 N. 17th St. Police located the couple there and detained Hernandez for questioning. Inside the apartment police located the knife in a medicine cabinet, and the baseball bat and Hernandez’s bloody shirt in a closet.
Hernandez was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center with bond set at $10,000.