Sean Duarte
An Odessa man was arrested early Sunday morning after his roommate of four months accused him of assault.
According to an Odessa Police Department report, two La Casa Drive residents from separate homes called 911 shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday to advise someone was at their door seeking help.
When officers arrived at the homes, one of the men seeking help was gone, but at the other home they found a 36-year-old man covered in blood, the report stated.
The man told officers Sean Paul Duarte, 33, attacked him, striking him in the head several times and causing him to fear for his life, according to the report.
Officers saw blood smeared near the front door, throughout a hallway, kitchen and several bedrooms, the report stated.
Officers found Duarte at a residence in the 1600 block of San Fernando Drive and he claimed he’d been strangled to the point of unconsciousness with a weedeater wire. Although the officers noticed his neck was red, Duarte didn’t have bloodshot eyes, which is typical of strangulation victims, the report stated.
An officer also noted in his report Duarte’s account of the incident was inconsistent and his claim that he fled the apartment first seeking help was proven false by neighboring video camera footage.
Duarte was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. He remained in the Ector County jail Tuesday on a $40,000 surety bond.
