Man brain dead after vehicle fall, Calcutta Drive assault in Socorro, prosecutor says

A man left beaten, unconscious and mortally injured on the side of a Socorro residential street is brain dead and on life-support, a prosecutor said.

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Cristian Lopez, 24, of El Paso, is jailed on a charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. It is yet unknown if the charge could be upgraded to a murder if the other man dies.

The mortally injured man, who is in his early 20s and whose name has not been released by Socorro police officials, was found late Monday night in the 10100 block of Calcutta Drive near Moon City Park , police said.

Lopez is accused of beating his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend after the woman's ex fell after jumping and grabbing onto the hood of her moving vehicle during an argument, Assistant District Attorney Jessica Lamberth said at the teleconference bond hearing for Lopez on Thursday, Sept. 26.

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Socorro police arrested Lopez, who remains held on a $200,000 bond at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown. Magistrate Judge Linda Estrada refused to lower Lopez's bond amount at the hearing.

Deputy Public Defender Maya Quevedo, attempting to get the bond amount lowered, pointed out that Lopez is the father of two small children and works at a barbershop.

The prosecution pointed out that the alleged assault took place while Lopez was out on bond awaiting trial after being arrested by El Paso police on June 30 on charges of drug possession and driving while intoxicated.

Fight involved boyfriend, ex-boyfriend

An investigation by Socorro police detectives found that Lopez was at his girlfriend's house when her ex-boyfriend arrived, said Lamberth. After an argument and fight began, the woman, attempting to cool things down, stayed to talk to her ex while Lopez went to wait at the nearby park.

The argument continued and the woman decided to leave with her children. After the woman backed out of her driveway, her ex ran up to the vehicle as it began moving forward on the street. He allegedly jumped on the vehicle and was holding onto its hood while the vehicle was moving before letting go and falling onto the street, the prosecutor said.

The woman drove away and allegedly saw her ex stand up before Lopez began fighting with him, the prosecution said.

Lopez allegedly told police that he saw the man lying on the roadway, punched him in the face and kicked him and then dragged him off the street before leaving him, Lamberth said. Lopez and his girlfriend then spoke at a gas station.

The woman later returned and began providing aid to the injured man, who was found near her home.

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During the bond hearing, Lamberth said the injured man was found lying face down on the dirt on the side of the street with no shoes or a shirt.

When police arrived, Socorro firefighters were medically treating the man, who was not breathing but had a pulse. He had severe head injuries, swelling to his face and minor cuts and bruises throughout his body, the prosecutor said.

The injured man was taken to a hospital, where doctors found he had a fractured skull and a traumatic brain injury. He was incubated on life-support but brain dead, the prosecutor said.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Man brain dead after vehicle fall, Calcutta Drive assault in Socorro, prosecutor says