A man reportedly punched his brother in the chest who had his voicebox surgically removed and breathing tube implanted in his throat, an Odessa Police Department affidavit detailed.
Andrew Torres, 45, was arrested and charged Saturday with injury to a child, elderly or a disabled individual, a third-degree felony. On Monday, Torres was charged with fugitive from justice from Lea County, N.M., jail records show.
The reported assault occurred at 7:47 p.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of Pleasant Avenue, the affidavit stated.
The victim, who was identified as Alvino Sainz, who was reportedly forced to communicate with written notes and hand gestures due to the fact that he couldn’t speak after his voicebox was surgically removed and breathing tube implanted in his throat because of throat cancer.
Torres was located in the master bedroom of the house as he was hiding on the floor between the bed and the wall, the affidavit stated. Torres was detained.
Sainz stated that he and Torres were arguing and the argument become physical when he was trying to go to the back in the house and Torres was trying to hold the door closed, the affidavit detailed. Torres pushed him and then reached around the door and hit him three times in the chest with closed fist.
A witness stated he saw Torres push Sainz and as Sainz was trying to open the door, Torres was trying to hold it closed, the affidavit stated. The witness also stated that while Sainz and Torre struggled with the he saw Torres reach around and punch Sainz in the chest with a closed fist.
Officers saw visible injuries on Sainz’s chest area, the affidavit detailed. There was also blood along the top of the breathing tube in his throat. Sainz stated there’s normally mucus in the tube but only blood when irritated, which was caused by being punched in the chest.
Torres was arrested, charged and transported to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center. He has two bonds totaling $75,000 and was still in custody as of Monday afternoon, jail records show.
