A local man was arrested Thursday on a felony battery charge after allegedly hitting his pregnant girlfriend during an argument at their residence.
Jacobo Cleofas Jimenez, 32, who lists a Golf Links Road residence, was taken into custody at his residence shortly before 4:30 p.m. and charged with third-degree domestic battery, a felony punishable by up to six years in prison because the victim was pregnant at the time of the incident.
Jimenez, who lists no prior criminal history, was being held on zero bond and was set to appear Friday at Garland County District Court. He also has a hold on him from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Hot Springs police Officer Austin Morphew responded to a residence in the 400 block of Golf Links Road to a reported battery.
He made contact at the residence with a man, identified as Jimenez, and a woman, and noted she had a "red whelp" on the left side of her face that was "touching the corner of her eyelid." Jimenez said they were boyfriend and girlfriend and when asked if he had hit her, he denied it.
Morphew spoke to the woman who stated she is 35 weeks, or about 8 months pregnant, with Jimenez's child. She said she was sitting in a vehicle when Jimenez approached her at the driver's door and hit her with an unknown object that caused the injury to her face.
Jimenez was taken into custody and he and the woman were both taken to the police department for further questioning by Detective S.C. Jones. After being read his rights, Jimenez reportedly stated he and his girlfriend had returned home after arguing about a doctor's appointment she had at 5 p.m.
He said she told him she would drive herself to the appointment and that he should take his clothing and leave. He said he was trying to leave, but she stayed behind his truck blocking him in. He again denied hitting her and claimed she was "the aggressor" by pushing him when he first arrived home.
When Jones asked how his girlfriend got the mark on her face, Jimenez allegedly said he did not know, but confirmed she was 35 weeks pregnant and that he was the father.
Jones then spoke to the girlfriend with Sgt. Richard Nunez helping to translate and she stated the argument started about Jimenez "running late" because he was supposed to take her to the doctor's appointment. She said she decided to get in her vehicle to leave and dropped her phone.
She said she was trying to retrieve her phone and did not see Jimenez hit her, but felt pain on the left side of her face.