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Ambrose Atencio, a 51-year-old member and resident of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Assault Charge
ALBUQUERQUE – In a shocking turn of events, Ambrose Atencio, a 51-year-old member and resident of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with assaulting an Indian woman.
Atencio was arrested on September 25, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting an intimate partner by strangulation. The complaint alleged that Atencio assaulted the victim, a Kewa woman, by striking her in the face and strangling the victim.
According to the complaint, on September 12, 2014, BIA officers responded to a report of assault on Kewa Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M. The victim sustained bruises and contusions on her body, neck, and facial area as a result of the assault.
During today’s proceedings, Atencio entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor information and admitted assaulting the victim by striking her with his hands on her face. Atencio also admitted grabbing the victim’s throat.
Atencio faces a penalty of up to 12 months in federal prison and up to five years of supervised release. He has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
The case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Mott is prosecuting this case. The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure, and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both.
The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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