A Fruitland man faces a possible 10-year prison sentence after being charged with assault over an incident last month that centered on a family dispute.
Justin Tso, 36, a member of the Navajo Nation, faces a federal charge of assault with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting for the March 23 incident in Fruitland allegedly initiated by Tso and his brother, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
The criminal complaint states the incident began when Justin Tso and his brother Walliford Tso entered the home of a relative in Fruitland and had a brief conversation with the woman, then allegedly took a machete that was positioned near the door.
The female relative’s husband then followed the two men outside, where they engaged in a verbal confrontation, which ended with the husband being chased inside by the Tso brothers. As the woman tried to lock the door behind her husband, the Tso brothers allegedly kicked in the door, knocking her to the ground, causing injuries to the woman’s knee and shoulder.
The Tso brothers then began punching the husband, the complaint states. As Justin Tso held the husband, his brother allegedly picked up a tire rim and threw it at the husband’s head. The man deflected the tire rim with his arm, sustaining an abrasion.
The husband, the wife and their child then fled the house, with the Tso brothers in pursuit, according to the complaint. Walliford Tso allegedly picked up a steel fence post and heaved it at the husband, missing him, then Justin Tso allegedly threw a large rock at him, also missing him. The complaint states Walliford Tso then picked up the fence post and threw it at the husband again, missing him a second time, at which point the husband fled into an adjacent field.
Walliford Tso then got into the truck the two brothers had been driving and allegedly drove over the gate to the property, breaking the wood and the concreate posts attached to the gate. The complaint states he then rammed the truck into two vehicles parked in front of the home.
Navajo police, who had been summoned during a 911 call by the woman and her husband, then arrived at the scene, and Justin Tso was detained.
In addition to the possible 10-year prison sentence, Justin Tso would face five years of probation if he is convicted of the charges.
The case was investigated by the Farmington resident agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque field office, as well as the Navajo Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 ormeasterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital, subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.
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