Hobbsan accused of attempted home invasion
A Hobbs man faces battery, assault and burglary-related charges after being arrested Tuesday following an “unwanted subjects” call.
Erick Cano, 32, is charged with two counts of battery upon a peace officer, aggravated assault and possession of burglary tools, all fourth-degree felonies; assault on a peace officer, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer and attempt to commit a felony (breaking and entering), all misdemeanors.
Around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, Hobbs police responded to an unwanted subject call in the 1900 block of North Mobile.
A woman told police she saw a man, later identified as Cano, in front of her home hiding by a shed. The criminal complaint states she told police she called her husband and while waiting for him, Cano started banging on the rear door of the home and trying to pry it open. She ran outside when her husband arrived and Cano came around the house with Channellock pliers in his hand, which they use to open and close their gate.
“(The woman) stated (her husband) began telling Erick to get off their property,” the complaint states. “(She) advised Erick began saying that it was his property and that (they) were trespassing.”
Afterward, she alleged Cano charged at her husband and tried to hit him with the pliers, but he dodged it. Cano allegedly swung at him again, which her husband dodged and grabbed Cano, forcing him to the ground. The husband told police Cano had charged at him and tried to hit him twice. He reported he didn’t know who Cano was and had never met him. The property owner, who rented it to the couple, also denied knowing Cano or giving him permission to be there.
The complaint detailed that Cano resisted police commands while in custody, made several kicks and struck an officer in the leg. At the Hobbs City Jail, Cano allegedly struck an officer in the face and tried to “head-butt” him, which led to officers trying to get him to the ground.
“Despite all of us pushing him to the ground, Erick was able to lock his legs and stop us from getting him to the ground and continued to try and swing around at us,” the complaint reads.
It also states that Hobbs police used a Taser on Cano during the incident at the jail.
Cano was previously arrested in March on attempted murder and aggravated battery charges stemming from the stabbing of two men at a West Mar-land motel. The charges were later dismissed without prejudice in early May after victims could not be located, according to the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Hobbs police later arrested him in May on an aggravated assault charge after he allegedly threatened a family member with a knife, which he denied.
New Mexico court records show that charge was bound over from magistrate court on May 30. It also reflects Cano’s pending charges include trafficking a controlled substance and embezzlement of a motor vehicle.