New Bedford Man Arrested For Assaulting Girlfriend Just After Being Released From Prison Sentenced
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
Thomas M. Quinn III
District Attorney
PRESS RELEASE
April 13, 2021
A 32-year-old New Bedford man arrested for violently assaulting his girlfriend just 23 days after being released from state prison on firearm-related charges in Haverhill, was recently sent back to prison for up to four years for violating the terms of his probation, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Eliezer Cruz was arrested in New Bedford on January 16th after allegedly slamming his girlfriend’s head into a bathroom door on the previous evening. On the date of his arrest, the argument between the couple had continued during the early morning hours. During that argument, the defendant is accused of pushing her onto a bed, throwing a phone at her face, waving a knife in the air and choking her.
After his arrest, while held in jail, the defendant immediately began contacting the victim in an attempt to convince her to recant her story and claim nothing violent had occurred between them.
At the time of his arrest, the defendant had been out of prison for less than a month and was still on probation. The case was out of Essex County and the defendant served five years in prison for being a felon in possession of an illegal firearm. In that case, the defendant was convicted of waving and cocking an illegal firearm at two victims in Haverhill while their five month old child was in the car.
The New Bedford criminal case remains open and pending in Fall River Superior Court, where the defendant was indicted on charges of aggravated assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit a crime, suborn perjury, criminal contempt and witness intimidation.
The Probation Surrender Hearing was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kristen Wiley and the Three-and-a-half to four year state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Thomas J. Perrino.
“Just 23 days after being released from prison for committing a very serious crime, the defendant smashed his girlfriend’s head against a door and assaulted her with a knife. He is a very violent individual who simply cannot behave in a civilized way. By his own actions, he has clearly demonstrated that he is a danger to society and must be kept off the street.,” District Attorney Quinn said.
Contact:
Gregg Miliote
Director of Communications
774-292-9576