Two men were charged with assault and battery Sunday after an unexplained attack on an Española man, according to Española Police.
Johnny Valdez, 49, was leaving his Calle Don Pedro residence that afternoon when Crystal Gallegos approached him. Officer Gabe Gonzales said he didn’t know what the two spoke about, but Gallegos’ brother Jerome Gallegos, 40, approached and began arguing with Valdez.
“(Jerome Gallegos) pulled out a knife and lunged at (Valdez) while he was in the car,” Gonzales said. “He struck him in the upper left chest.”
Gonzales said the argument was possibly about a phone.
“This guy was arguing with her or something so (Jerome Gallegos) went to her aid,” Gonzales said. “(Jerome Gallegos) is an ex-con — their mentality is different.”
Jerome Gallegos spent time in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking a controlled substance in 1995, according to an online court records database. He currently is also facing outstanding charges of aggravated battery, aggravated battery on a household member and battery on a household member for a separate incident.
While Jerome Gallegos and Valdez were arguing, Crystal Gallegos’ boyfriend Joe Gallegos, 29, apparently also came to Jerome Gallegos’ aid after his girlfriend yelled for him, Gonzales said. Joe Gallegos came running with a large stick, possibly a broomstick, and twice tried to hit Valdez and Valdez’s brother, Larry Valdez, who had attempted to intervene in the fight, Gonzales said. Although witnesses originally told 911 dispatchers Joe Gallegos was wielding a golf club, Gonzales said a golf club was never found.
Gonzales said a small pocket knife believed to be the weapon Jerome Gallegos had used was found at a nearby trailer where all three Gallegos reside. Johnny Valdez, the only person involved in the incident who appeared to be intoxicated, was treated at Española Hospital for his wound, which was about an inch and a half or two inches wide, Gonzales said.
Jerome Gallegos was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Gonzales said. Joe Gallegos was charged with two counts of assault, Gonzales said.