Man charged after allegedly putting pregnant woman into chokehold, beating her while driving
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REXBURG — A 24-year-old has been charged after allegedly beating a pregnant woman in the car while driving, then saying he did not care if she died.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by the Rexburg Police Department, on Nov. 9 at 10:10 p.m., an officer got a call in regards to an active domestic violence situation.
Multiple officers responded and found a vehicle with two people inside near an auto parts shop.
Officers found a man identified as Julio Cesar Fuentes Trejo in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. An officer smelled alcohol and conducted a DUI investigation, where Fuentes Trejo failed standard field sobriety tests.
The victim told police that Fuentes Trejo had beaten her while they were in the car driving from Walmart.
She told police she was six weeks pregnant. She said that Fuentes Trejo was very drunk and aggressive with her. He had touched her and “caused great bodily harm to (the victim’s) face, arm, back and chest,” documents said.
The report says at one point, Fuentes Trejo stopped the vehicle and tried to strangle her by putting her head in between both of his biceps and wrapping his arms around her head.
The victim told Fuentes Trejo that she could not breathe multiple times. She told police that Fuentes Trejo continued to do what he was doing and said “he did not care if she died,” documents said.
Court records show Fuentes Trejo was charged with two felonies, including attempted strangulation and domestic violence battery. He was additionally given a misdemeanor citation for driving under the influence.
His bond was set at $25,000. The attempted strangulation charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and/or up to a $50,000 fine. The domestic violence battery charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
Fuentes Trejo is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 23 at 1:30 p.m. at the Madison County courthouse.