Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Two men were arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility after allegedly committing domestic violence against their romantic partners in separate instances early Saturday morning. October is domestic violence awareness month.
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – Two men were arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility after allegedly committing domestic violence against their respective romantic partners in separate incidents roughly one hour apart early Saturday morning. October is domestic violence awareness month.
Officers were first dispatched to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center (MGRMC) at about 1:08 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, after a woman arrived at the Emergency Room with a one-inch laceration above her lip that required stitching.
The woman informed the officer that her boyfriend, Jason Gauna, 34, had struck her with an object from his vehicle after the pair had an argument. Records indicate the incident to be the third case of domestic violence between the couple.
Officers attempted to make contact with Gauna at his residence that night and again the next day without success.
On Oct. 1, however, an officer noticed lights on at the residence and knocked on the door at about 9:22 p.m. A man answered the door but insisted Gauna was not home.
After informing the man about Gauna’s truck being parked outside and again questioning him about Gauna’s whereabouts, the man admitted Gauna was in a back bedroom.
Gauna allegedly admitted to striking his girlfriend with a full soda but denied hitting her with anything else and suggested her injury was self-inflicted. He was then taken into custody and booked into the jail on charges of assault and disorderly conduct/domestic violence.
The second case Saturday morning occurred when an officer was dispatched at about 2:18 a.m. to an address on W. 16th Street for a domestic dispute. According to a Safford Police report, a County Dispatch operator overheard a man say, “I can hear you calling 911 (expletive deleted) prior to the phone becoming disconnected.
Upon arrival, a juvenile female directed officers to a back bedroom, where a man, identified as Rody Madariaga, 34, appeared intoxicated and belligerent as he was yelling at his fiancé. After a short struggle, officers managed to take Madariaga into custody.
The victim informed the police that Madariaga had drunk too much alcohol and just started yelling and swearing at her. She said the incident did not escalate to being physical prior to police arrival.
Madariaga declined to answer the officer’s questions and would not submit to a portable breath test. He was then taken to the MGRMC, where he was medically cleared. Madariaga was then booked into the jail on a charge of disorderly conduct/domestic violence. On Tuesday, Oct. 2, he waived his right to an attorney and pleaded guilty to the charge in Gila Valley Consolidated Court.
