ALBUQUERQUE - Orlando King, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Torreon, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a misdemeanor assault charge. After entering his guilty plea, King was sentenced to three years of probation.
King was arrested on Dec. 29, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. According to the complaint, on Dec. 4, 2015, in Sandoval County, N.M., King and another man allegedly attacked the victim, hitting the victim in the face, kicking his body and face, and hitting the victim in the left arm and back with an ax. The victim sustained an open fracture to the bone between his elbow and shoulder that required two surgeries.
During today’s proceedings, King pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with assault by striking, beating or wounding. In entering the guilty plea, King admitted that on Dec. 4, 2015, he and another man got into a verbal argument with the victim, and the other man began to physically fight the victim. King further admitted that he struck and kicked the victim several times, and the other man involved in the fight then used an ax to strike the victim which caused serious injury. King admitted that he did not participate or encourage the assault with the ax. The assault occurred within the Navajo Indian Reservation. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
The other man referred to by King is Henderson Castillo who is charged in a two-count indictment with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment alleges that Castillo injured the victim by assaulting him with an ax on Dec. 4, 2015. Castillo has entered a not guilty plea to the indictment and remains detained pending trial. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
