Man accused of assaulting and kidnapping pregnant woman at convenience store
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IDAHO FALLS — An Iona man is accused of violently assaulting and holding a pregnant woman against her will in Idaho Falls.
Andy Patino, 22, is charged with felony second-degree kidnapping and felony aggravated assault. According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, Patino became agitated after the victim caught him viewing pornography.
The Idaho Falls Police department received a call Wednesday around 10 p.m. for a report of a man slamming a woman onto the ground with her hair at the Midget Market on G Street. When officers arrived, they found the store’s doors locked despite it being open for business, according to police.
Inside the store, police could see a man and woman arguing and officers knocked on the door. Patino came over and let police inside.
Once inside, Patino told police he and the victim were arguing after she caught him watching pornography. He said she wanted to leave, but he grabbed her and stopped her. Patino claimed he did not get violent, but according to charging documents, the victim told a different story.
She reportedly told officers Patino grabbed her, would not let her go and pulled out a knife, holding it to his head. Police spotted the knife on the floor of the convenience store.
Surveillance video of the incident shows Patino holding the woman multiple times as she tried to leave, an officer noted in a report. Patino eventually locked the store’s door, pulled out a knife and held it inches from the victim’s face. He then held it to his own head before stabbing the cabinet next to them.
“(The victim) manages to take the knife away from Andy and throws it away from them,” police wrote in the report.
Patino was arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail. He is being held on $25,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing for Patino is scheduled for June 11.
Although Patino is accused of crimes it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.