Lestat Cree Valdez, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, New Mexico 2023

A brutal assault on the Mescalero Apache reservation has landed a young man behind bars. Lestat Cree Valdez, 20, of Mescalero, made an initial appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim was sleeping on the couch in a residence located on the Mescalero Apache reservation when she awoke to being stabbed in the head and chest. A witness heard the victim call for help and observed Valdez striking the victim. The witness chased Valdez from the residence before returning to provide medical assistance to the victim until EMS arrived.

Later that day, Valdez turned himself in to law enforcement. During a subsequent interview, Valdez admitted to ingesting LSD and two unknown drugs and described losing control of his body. Valdez stated that during his acid ‘trip,’ he observed himself stabbing the victim.

The brutal attack has left the community shaken. ‘This kind of violence is never acceptable,’ said Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. ‘We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.’

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

Valdez faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The community is breathing a sigh of relief that the suspect is behind bars. ‘We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe,’ said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.

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