Willmar man accused of hitting woman with table leg, injuring infant

Mark Wasson, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·2 min read

May 7—WILLMAR — A Willmar man had a first appearance before Kandiyohi County District Judge Jennifer Fischer related to allegedly hitting his girlfriend with a table leg and injuring their nine-month-old child early Sunday morning, according to court records.

Eduardo Amaya, 23, is facing multiple charges related to the incident, including felony second-degree-assault — fear and felony threats of violence.

Amaya was arrested early Sunday night for the incident and as of Thursday afternoon was still held in the Kandiyohi County Jail.

Amaya was given $75,000 bail with no conditions or the ability to be released if he has no contact with the victim, does not leave the state, agrees to alcohol monitoring and has no further assaults, among other conditions.

A domestic-abuse-no-contact order was issued and his initial appearance is scheduled for May 12.

According to the criminal complaint, Amaya's girlfriend told police around 1 a.m. Sunday that Amaya had been "extremely intoxicated" that night and began breaking things within their residence in front of her and the child.

Fearing Amaya may become violent, his girlfriend called her mother for a ride, which enraged Amaya, who broke a kitchen table and hit her in the back of the head with one of the legs.

According to the complaint, Amaya said "I'm going to kill you and your kid," to the girlfriend before hitting her with the table leg.

Amaya then began punching her multiple times in the head while she was holding her daughter.

"During the course of this physical assault, the child was also injured," reads part of the complaint.

Law enforcement identified a large slightly bloody bump on the back of the girlfriend's head and a small bruise underneath the child's eye and a small cut on the child's leg.

Following the assault, the girlfriend fled the residence where she got into her mother's vehicle and went directly to the hospital.

Amaya pursued them to the hospital and was later found and arrested around 3 a.m. Sunday between two portable toilets outside of the Jennie-O Turkey Store plant where he works.

Amaya's damaged white Mitsubishi SUV was also at the plant. Law enforcement found evidence of destruction along the route Amaya used to follow his girlfriend to the hospital that matched the damage to his vehicle.

Amaya is charged with felony second-degree assault — fear; felony threats of violence; two counts of misdemeanor domestic assault; gross misdemeanor driving while impaired — refusing to submit to chemical test; and gross misdemeanor DWI — operate motor vehicle under influence of alcohol.