A Mescalero man has appeared in federal court on charges of assault and strangulation. Court documents state that Lance Marion Cojo, 39, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, allegedly assaulted and strangled an individual identified as Jane Doe on October 23, 2025.
Cojo faces charges of assault by strangling and/or suffocating. He will remain in custody until a detention hearing scheduled for February 9, 2026. If convicted, Cojo could receive a prison sentence of up to ten years.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison announced the charges. The Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens is prosecuting the case.
"An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," according to the statement released by authorities.
