Santa Fe County deputies file arrest warrant for Española robbery suspect
Jan. 29—Santa Fe County deputies filed an arrest warrant Thursday for an Española man accused of pepper-spraying, stabbing and robbing a man near Boneyard Road on Jan. 17.
Jonathan Garcia, 22, was charged with robbery, conspiracy, aggravated battery, larceny and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle after being identified by the victim as one of two men who allegedly attacked him, according to a criminal complaint filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.
The reporting party initially told police he had pulled over to use the bathroom near the intersection of Boneyard Road and U.S. 84/285 when two men approached him on foot and attacked him before stealing his vehicle.
When investigators did a follow-up interview with the man, he told them he had gone to Española to meet Garcia, whom he'd met on a social media app, according to the affidavit of arrest warrant. Garcia told the man they needed to pick up his cousin, but the man refused.
Garcia then told the man to drive to a specific location where they could hang out. When they arrived, the victim told investigators another man suddenly appeared as they were standing outside his vehicle and the pair attacked him, according to the affidavit.
Investigators employed the username given to them by the victim to find Garcia on other social media platforms. The victim was then able to identify Garcia through a photo lineup, according to the affidavit.
As of Friday, Garcia had not been arrested.
