A Mercedes man was arrested Monday after assaulting his girlfriend with a hammer and holding her against her will inside her residence this weekend, a news release from Mercedes police said.
Martin Sabas Ortiz, 38, is facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint.
Mercedes police responded to an assault near the 700 block of W. Business 83 at about 11 a.m. Saturday, the release said.
When police arrived, Ortiz’s girlfriend told police he had continuously assaulted her, at one point using a hammer, and had not let her leave her home.
Officers noticed she had bruises on her shoulders, a severe laceration to her eye and a fractured wrist as a result of being hit by the hammer, according to the document.
The woman said Ortiz sent her to a convenience store to buy him alcohol, which she used as an opportunity to escape and contact police, the release said.
Ortiz fled the scene before police arrived but was apprehended about 8 a.m. the following day, when investigators executed a warrant for his arrest.
The woman was taken to a local hospital to treat her injuries.
Ortiz was transported to the Weslaco Police Department jail, where he awaits arraignment, the document said.
