Eagle Butte Man Jailed for Beating Intimate Partner

Emmanuel Gomez, a 29-year-old man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for a brutal assault on his intimate partner that left her with multiple fractures, bite wounds, and extensive bruising. The attack, fueled by alcohol, unfolded on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation and culminated in a violent confrontation that forced the victim to flee barefoot into the cold night.

Gomez, also known as Manny Gomez, pleaded guilty on August 30, 2016, to Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner. He was sentenced on November 7, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange. In addition to prison time, Gomez will serve two years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The assault occurred on November 22, 2015, after Gomez spent hours drinking at Bob’s Steakhouse. When he returned home around 7:30 p.m., heavily intoxicated, he immediately launched into a verbal tirade against the victim, who had remained quiet in an attempt to avoid conflict. That didn’t stop him. Gomez lunged from the couch, grabbed her by the hair, and began repeatedly punching her in the face, knocking her onto the couch.

The victim, after enduring the initial beating, fought back. As Gomez tried to rise, she began striking him. That’s when he bit down hard on her upper right thigh. She screamed at him to stop. He didn’t. She continued hitting him in the face until he released his bite. She shoved him away, got to her feet, but not before Gomez rose again and struck her arms and bit her right arm.

Battered and bleeding, the victim managed to break free, shoving Gomez backward before fleeing the home without shoes or a coat. She ran to a nearby friend’s house to escape further harm. Medical evaluation later revealed she suffered two nasal fractures requiring surgery, bruising and swelling around her left eye and nose, and extensive bruises across her forehead, arms, hip, and foot. A deep bite mark was evident on her inner right thigh.

The case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller. Following sentencing, Gomez was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service. The incident underscores the ongoing crisis of domestic violence in tribal communities, where federal jurisdiction often plays a critical role in securing justice.

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