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Former shoe salesman accused of toe-biting.
It sounds like a comedy-show headline, but in the case of a Santa Fe man and woman, there’s nothing comic about the situation. Rather, it raises questions about whether police and judges have taken the seriousness of what now appears to be a pattern of escalating violence into account.
In brief: Daniel Anaya, 27, has three times attacked his ex-girlfriend, biting off part of her toe in one attack, threatening her with a boxcutter in another and, most recently just this last week, trying to cut off her toe with a cigar cutter. She has twice applied for restraining orders to keep him away from her, and even secretly moved to Albuquerque in an effort to protect herself.
Felony charges against Anaya are pending before a Santa Fe grand jury, but meanwhile, he’s been out on bail from the assault in February. And, despite what prosecutors have noted is the escalating violence of his attacks, an Albuquerque judge reduced his bond on the latest of the incidents involving the cigar cutter.
Part of the problem is that, in Albuquerque metro court, where Anaya was most recently arraigned after his latest assault, prosecutors don’t routinely appear at arraignments. And Anaya appears to have no criminal history, despite the three assaults reported by his victim since November. Accordingly, the Albuquerque judge reduced Anaya’s bail from $100,000 cash-only to $50,000 cash or surety, meaning that if Anaya can persuade a bail bondsman to put up $5,000, he could be out of jail.
Pacheco says she’s on top of the situation, and that Anaya’s case hasn’t “fallen through the cracks.” The criminal case against him has been dismissed out of Santa Fe magistrate court, Pacheco notes, but that’s so felony charges can be presented to the grand jury, which issues indictments.
None of this, however, can be very reassuring to Anaya’s victim. Clearly, Anaya has violated the restraining order she was able to obtain. A judge needs to call him on that violation, and put him behind bars until the criminal charges against him are resolved.
