A Pena Blanca man is facing federal child abuse charges after allegedly punching and strangling a minor, according to a July 31 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
Court documents state that on April 9, Jonathan Lovato, 41, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo, held down and punched a minor with a closed fist several times before strangling them and causing them to lose consciousness. The minor reportedly escaped the residence and went to a family member’s home, where law enforcement was called. Officers arrested Lovato at his residence following the incident.
The minor received treatment at a local hospital before being transferred to Albuquerque due to brain bleeding sustained during the incident. Lovato has been charged with child abuse and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement regarding the charges against Lovato.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting it. Officials emphasized that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.