Las Cruces man accused of threatening woman with knife, stealing vehicle
A Las Cruces man is accused of threatening a woman with a knife, assaulting her and stealing her vehicle. Prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention.
Joshua Melendez is charged with aggravated assault and multiple domestic violence counts; prosecutors seek to keep him jailed
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - Prosecutors are seeking to keep a Las Cruces man in jail pending trial after he was accused of threatening a woman with a knife, assaulting her and stealing her vehicle, according to court documents.
Joshua Melendez, 42, faces charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a household member, multiple counts of battery and assault against a household member and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
According to a statement of probable cause, Melendez went to the victim’s residence, located off of W. Picacho Ave., on March 15 and accused her of cheating on him. The two had previously been in a relationship.
Court documents state Melendez became increasingly aggressive, grabbing the woman by the hair and throwing her against a bathroom counter. The victim fell into a bathtub and later onto the floor, where Melendez threatened to kick her.
Investigators say Melendez then pulled out an orange pocketknife, held it against the woman’s chin and threatened to kill her.
The documents state Melendez continued to assault the woman, at one point picking her up by the hair and pushing her into a bedroom. He later demanded her vehicle keys, and when she refused, he pushed her again before taking the keys from her purse and leaving in her 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe without permission.
Prosecutors filed a motion for pretrial detention, arguing Melendez poses a danger to the community and that no conditions of release would reasonably protect the victim or others.
Court records indicate Melendez has previously been arrested for violating a restraining order and for weapons-related offenses in Texas.
A hearing on the state’s request for pretrial detention is pending in Doña Ana County court.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
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