61-year-old man suspected in vehicular assault

By JACOB LOPEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Javier Juan Mendoza

A 61-year-old man is behind bars after he allegedly struck a pedestrian in his 1998 Lincoln Town Car.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Thursday, Sept. 18, as 61-year-old Javier Juan Mendoza reportedly traveled east on Batts Street in San Benito and saw a male – identified only as a 25-year-old man – walking down the road.

According to officers with the San Benito Police Department, Mendoza had just left an area club when he allegedly struck the man.

SBPD Detective Rogelio Banda Jr. said the suspect gave conflicting stories. What police did gather, however, was that Mendoza had allegedly been in some sort of altercation outside the club where he had been drinking.

Mendoza claimed that he was robbed and assaulted, according to Banda. “He got in the vehicle and left,” Banda said, alleging that Mendoza turned his car around and found someone he believed was one of the suspects who had attacked him.

“He pretty much tried to run him over with the car,” Banda said of Mendoza.

Authorities were only able to gather that Mendoza had allegedly been involved in an argument with a number of male subjects while inside the club, the name of which was not released as of press time, but it later escalated into a physical altercation when the men involved exited the establishment. Police were unable to get the specifics on the nature of the argument, Banda added.

“I guess he (Mendoza) was angered as a result of the fight,” said Banda, adding, “and that’s when he tried to run over this individual … because he believed that he was one of the ones that had assaulted him.”

A statement from the police department states that the 25-year-old man sustained minor injuries but refused to be transported by emergency medical services.

Officers at the scene reported that Mendoza allegedly exhibited signs of intoxication due to alcohol consumption, which prompted police to conduct a field sobriety test. Police determined that a blood specimen was needed from the suspect, and he was taken to a local hospital for a blood withdrawal.

Mendoza was charged with one count of intoxication assault and arraigned by Municipal Judge Ben Yudesis, who set his bond at $25,000.