Man accused of punching pregnant girlfriend

A Santo Domingo Pueblo man was arrested Friday after punching his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach during a fight over his suspected infidelity, Santa Fe police said.

Police were called to an apartment on Paseo del Sol in Santa Fe shortly before 4 a.m. Friday by a resident complaining that a man — later identified as 28-year-old Cheston Garcia — had smashed an apartment window, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

Garcia had been dating the daughter of the resident’s girlfriend and the pair had recently broken up because the daughter — who is seven months pregnant — suspected Garcia of cheating on her, the affidavit said.

Garcia came to the apartment, where the daughter had been staying, to pick up some of his belongings.

Garcia’s girlfriend told police that he came to the home intoxicated, and the two then drove around downtown Santa Fe talking in his pickup, the affidavit said.

When they returned to the apartment, Garcia fell asleep in his girlfriend’s bedroom.

The girlfriend then opened his phone and saw text messages to another woman, and she took a photo of Garcia and sent it to the woman, telling her to break off communications with Garcia, according to the affidavit.

She then woke Garcia and told him to leave.

When Garcia’s girlfriend told him about the message she had sent to the other woman, Garcia allegedly punched her in the stomach and “told her that he did not care if she lost the baby,” according to the affidavit. Garcia then walked out to his truck, allegedly punched the window to her room and left.

The girlfriend told police that Garcia had assaulted her in the past, choking her on March 4 and hitting her on previous occasions, including throwing a bottle of soda at her, which bruised her stomach, the affidavit said.

After Friday’s incident, the woman’s mother took her to the hospital. There was no immediate word Saturday on the condition of the woman or her child, Santa Fe police Lt. Sean Strahon said.

Garcia was arrested Friday by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and booked into jail in Sandoval County, Strahon said.

Garcia faces charges of attempting to commit felony injury to a pregnant woman, battery and property damage.