JOSE Celis Lizama, 54, was arrested for assaulting his wife during an argument over a food stamp card, police said.
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed a $20,000 cash bail on Lizama at a bail hearing on Feb. 29.
Lizama was charged with assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, disturbing the peace, to include domestic violence.
The Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Lizama, while Assistant Attorney General David Karch appeared for the government.
After the hearing, Lizama was remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections and was ordered to return to court for an arraignment on March 11 at 9 a.m.
According to the complaint against Lizama, on Feb. 28 at 11:32 a.m. police received a call from a female requesting police assistance in Chalan Kanoa.
At the scene, a woman told the police officer that her husband assaulted her, and pointed at Lizama.
The woman said Lizama started harassing her and her boyfriend about a food stamp card.
She said she and Lizama are still married but have been separated for about three months. She said she came home from the hospital and was helping her boyfriend cook when she noticed Lizama’s car parked on the road in front of her house.
She said Lizama was shouting bad words at her, but she calmly told him to leave because she didn’t want any problems.
She said Lizama left but later drove back and got out of the car. The victim said she immediately called for police assistance.
Lizama stood at the kitchen door and asked for a food stamp card, the victim said.
She told Lizama that she gave the food stamp card to their daughter, which made him angrier, and they started arguing.
The victim said Lizama then walked into the kitchen and punched her on the left side of her face and forehead with his right hand, multiple times.
She said Lizama also walked toward her boyfriend and attempted to punch him, but she got between them and got punched again on the face multiple times.
On his way out of the house, Lizama grabbed a cell phone from the kitchen table. Both the victim and her boyfriend followed him and asked for the phone back.
Lizama turned around and punched the woman on the head and face more than once, she said.
When the boyfriend got between them, Lizama picked up a rock and hit her on the back of the head about three to four times.
A responding police officer said the victim’s head was swollen and bleeding.
Lizama was arrested and transported to Corrections.
