Daniel Villegas, the El Paso man who gained national attention when he was found innocent after being imprisoned in a double murder in a 25-year legal saga, was arrested on a family violence charge.
The El Paso Police Department arrested Villegas on a misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and booked him into the El Paso County Jail on Wednesday, July 17, according to jail records. He was released from jail that same day after posting a $2,500 surety bond.
Archives 2010:Quest for Justice: Daniel Villegas
"Daniel has been under a lot of stress since his acquittal and the pending federal civil case," his attorney, Joe Spencer, said. "He has done an amazing job assimilating to society after being falsely accused, incarcerated, and so many people are trying to take advantage of him. I spoke with Daniel and he was the one that was assaulted but has had a target on his back ever since he was acquitted. I look forward to resolving this case hopefully free from politics."
A civil lawsuit filed by Villegas against the city of El Paso is pending in federal court. Villegas has remained outspoken about wrongful convictions and earlier this year wrote an El Paso Times guest column against Democrat district attorney candidate James Montoya, who was the prosecutor in his 2018 trial.
The arrest occurred after police responded to an early morning call at an apartment in Northeast El Paso on a domestic assault in progress, reported Channel 9-KTSM, who was the first to report the arrest of Villegas.
A woman told police that she and Villegas were arguing when Villegas allegedly grabbed her by the wrists with both of his hands, causing her pain, according to court documents obtained by KTSM. Police reported that the woman had possible dried blood and scratches on her wrists and right forearm.
In 2018, Villegas was acquitted by a jury in one of the most talked about capital murder cases in El Paso history, including the dramatic video of Villegas collapsing to his knees as a packed courtroom erupted in applause when he was found not guilty.
Villegas claimed that when he was 16 years old, an El Paso police detective forced him to falsely confess to a shooting that killed teenagers Armando "Mando" Lazo and Bobby England in 1993.
In 1994, Villegas' first trial ended in a mistrial after a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The following year, he was convicted by a jury of capital murder and automatically sentenced to life in prison.
After 18 years in prison and an extensive re-examination of the case by businessman and family friend John Mimbela, the conviction was overturned, the confession was thrown out, and in 2013, an appeals court ordered a new trial.
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