GRANTS, N.M. – A domestic dispute in the City of Grants took a violent turn on November 3, 2023, when police officers responded to a call reporting a male subject assaulting his girlfriend at an apartment complex. The incident unfolded at approximately 5:21 PM, resulting in the arrest of 36-year-old Justin Garcia on charges of attempted murder.
According to the arrest report filed by Grants Police Department, officers were alerted to the scene by the Cibola County Regional Communications Center. The caller reported a disturbing scene at 1040 N. Sage Ave. Apt A, where a male subject was allegedly beating a female outside her apartment. The reporting party described the male subject as shirtless and wearing black shorts, while the female victim was bleeding from her face, with the caller claiming that the male subject was kicking her.
Officers arrived at the location at around 5:24 PM and were met by two concerned witnesses, who pointed them toward the apartment complex's courtyard. There, they heard a female voice pleading, 'get away from me!' Officers quickly located a male subject, later identified as Justin Garcia, with his arms around a female subject identified as Alicia Histia.
To intervene and protect the victim, officers attempted to separate Garcia from Histia by grabbing his right shoulder. However, this led to a physical confrontation, ultimately resulting in Justin Garcia being taken to the ground and subsequently handcuffed by Grants officers. Garcia was then placed in the rear of Officer Kemp's marked patrol car.
Histia, the victim, was attended to by officers and medical personnel at the scene. According to the police report, she displayed visible injuries to her face, including blood coming from her nose and a swollen lip. Dried blood was also observed on her face, shirt, and arms.
Histia informed law enforcement that the altercation had started when she confronted Garcia about consuming alcohol, which she believed he was not supposed to be doing. This confrontation escalated, with Garcia allegedly threatening to kill her and expressing hatred. Histia reported that she was struck multiple times by Garcia, who used his fists during the assault. She also mentioned that she was choked and that she lost consciousness at one point during the altercation.
Another witness at the scene corroborated Histia's account, stating that they saw Garcia kicking Histia in the head during the incident. The witness provided a written statement confirming the violent episode, as did several other witnesses, who described the situation as an attempt to 'kill his wife' and beat her 'half to death.'
Histia was subsequently attended to by Grants Fire and Rescue and Superior Ambulance, with firefighters noting possible orbital and jaw fractures, lacerations on her arms, a possible broken nose, and a busted lip. Histia was transported to Cibola General Hospital for further evaluation and medical treatment.
Garcia, the alleged assailant, was transported to Cibola General Hospital for medical clearance before being taken into custody.
The Grants Police Department is currently investigating the incident, and Garcia faces multiple charges related to domestic violence and assault.