Socorro Man Arrested After Stabbing

By John Larson

SOCORRO - A Socorro man was arrested last Thursday, June 10, in connection with a knifing which occurred at a Park Street residence.
According to witness statements in the criminal complaint, Jonathan Scott, 19, stabbed Jason O’Connell several times following a confrontation between the two. He has been charged with aggravated battery, a third degree felony; and tampering with evidence.
In an interview with police, witness Nina Lucero, Scott’s wife, said that earlier that day Jason O’Connell had come by to retrieve some milk that he had left in her refrigerator, but nothing happened because O’Connell did not enter the residence.
She said that at about 3:30 p.m. O’Connell came by a second time. She said that O’Connell was outside talking to the other witness, Denalda Baca, and that Scott became upset seeing O’Connell outside.
Lucero said that Scott tried to go outside to confront O’Connell, and that she tried to stop him, but he pushed passed her and ran outside with the knife in his hands, and began stabbing O’Connell.
Baca confirmed Lucero’s statement on the incident. “Denalda Baca said she was standing next to Jason O’Connell’s vehicle when Scott came running out of his apartment and attacked Jason with a knife, stabbing him several times,” the report said.
Lucero said Scott dropped the knife and she grabbed it and threw it to the side. O’Connell fell to the ground, and she put him into his car and drove him to the hospital.
The complaint said that Scott then immediately fled the scene, taking the knife with him.
Officer Dennis Sedillo began a search and was able to locate Scott, who was taken into custody.
Scott, whose clothing was still saturated in blood during the interview with police, said he threw the knife onto the roof of one of the apartments in the complex.
The knife, which had been smeared with blood on both the blade and the handle, was retrieved from the roof.
Scott’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 17.

Socorro Man Arrested After Stabbing