Machete Attack, Neck Wound Alleged in Farmington Domestic Battery Case
A Farmington man is accused of attacking another individual with a machete during a domestic confrontation inside an apartment, according to court records filed in San Juan County. The felony charges are outlined in a sworn statement of probable cause submitted to Farmington Magistrate Court. Investigators allege the incident left the victim with injuries to the neck and arms.
What Court Records Allege
Early Morning Stabbing Call at Farmington Apartment
According to the statement, Farmington police were dispatched shortly after 5:40 a.m. Feb. 9 to an apartment complex in the area of La Habra Street for a reported stabbing. The reporting party told dispatch her brother was bleeding and that her boyfriend, identified in court records as Oliver Lawrence Oaklin, had been drinking and had a machete. Dispatch advised that Oaklin had left the residence before officers arrived, the statement says.
When officers arrived, they located a man outside who matched the suspect description provided by dispatch, records state. Police detained Oaklin while other officers went to the apartment to assess the victim’s injuries. Investigators reported seeing what appeared to be blood inside the residence and along the stairway leading upstairs.
Victim Found Injured Upstairs With Towel on Arm
Inside the apartment, officers contacted the victim upstairs, according to the statement. Police reported the victim had a towel wrapped around his left forearm and had visible injuries that included lacerations to the arm and bleeding near the neck area.
The statement says the victim was transported by ambulance to San Juan Regional Medical Center for treatment. Officers documented the injuries at the scene and continued the investigation, according to court records.
Witness Statements Describe Machete Being Retrieved and Swung
Witnesses provided statements describing an argument inside the apartment before the alleged attack, according to court records. The statement says a witness reported Oaklin became angry during a dispute and retrieved a machete from a closet in a bedroom. The witness told police Oaklin began swinging the machete toward the victim, according to the filing.
Another witness told officers the victim attempted to shield himself while being struck and that the machete made contact with the victim’s arms and neck area, the statement says. Court records state witnesses intervened and were eventually able to remove the machete from Oaklin.
Machete Recovered; Defendant Taken Into Custody
Police reported locating and confiscating the machete inside the residence, according to the statement. The weapon was described as about 18 inches long with a color-changing blade that narrowed to a point. Officers seized the machete as evidence, records state.
Oaklin was detained outside the apartment and arrested as the investigation continued, according to court records. The statement says he was transported to the San Juan County Detention Center and later booked on felony charges.
A separate Farmington repeat domestic violence arrest report is available here: https://sanjuanpulse.com/san-juan-county/farmington-repeat-domestic-violence-arrest-020226/.
Charges Filed
- Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (felony)
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (felony)
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a household member (felony)
- Simple assault (misdemeanor)
All charges are allegations contained in the court filing. Prosecutors must prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
Case Status
Oaklin was booked into the San Juan County Detention Center following his arrest, according to the statement. Bond details, a next court date, and attorney information were not included in the court filing reviewed for this report.
Source
This report is based on a statement of probable cause filed Feb. 9 in Farmington Magistrate Court. The document was sworn by a Farmington Police Department officer.
All persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are allegations and do not constitute evidence of guilt.