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Saul Lionel Villa
An Oracle man turned himself in at the Pinal County headquarters in Florence Monday after being sought in a domestic violence assault that sent a woman to the hospital in Oro Valley.
On Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 3:09 a.m. the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a nurse at the Oro Valley Hospital regarding a 31-year-old female who was the victim of a domestic violence assault. The hospital reported they were treating the victim for injuries she sustained during a fight with her boyfriend.
A deputy met with the victim who reported she was assaulted by Saul Lionel Villa, 27, Oracle, who has been her boyfriend for two years. The victim said the two of them had been drinking at the Oracle Inn Steakhouse Bar earlier in the evening. They got into a verbal argument at the bar and left shortly after midnight. When they got home to their residence, they continued to argue and Villa physically assaulted her.
According to PCSO, Villa then opened up a nightstand drawer which contained a .380 handgun. The two of them struggled over the weapon and eventually villa was able to get control of it and struck the victim in the head with the gun. While the victim was on the floor, Villa began to choke her around the neck with his hands. Villa then stopped and began to load a rifle magazine with ammunition. The victim tried to run out of the residence but Villa caught her and dragged her back inside. The victim went into her bedroom and was able to jump out a window and called a family member for a ride to the hospital.
Tim Gaffney, Public Information Officer for Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, said the victim sustained a laceration on the top of her head. She had marks on her neck from where she was choked and blood vessels were burst in her eyes from being choked. She also had abrasions to her back, hip and right leg.
Deputies searched the home but were not able to locate Villa. An attempt to locate was sent out to all law enforcement agencies in the state. The vehicle Villa owns was located at a residence in Catalina later that evening.
On Monday, March 3, at 1 p.m. Villa, while accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in at Pinal County Sheriff’s headquarters in Florence.
Villa was booked into the Pinal County Jail for four counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of kidnapping, disorderly conduct with a firearm, tampering with evidence and threatening and intimidating.
“The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office receives 9-1-1 calls everyday related to domestic violence cases. These are often times some of the most dangerous calls law enforcement responds too,” Sheriff Paul Babeu said. “Nationally one in four women will experience some form of domestic violence during their life time and one in three women who are the victim of homicide are murdered by their current or former partner. If you or somebody you know is involved in a
relationship with domestic violence, it’s important to realize there is help available and the victim is not alone. Please get help before it’s to late.”
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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