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DELTA — A West Valley man accused of using a hammer in a violent assault is facing several criminal charges.
Obed Orihuela, 25, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with attempted murder and aggravated burglary, first-degree felonies; aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor; assault, a class B misdemeanor; and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.
About 3:15 a.m. Saturday, Millard County sheriff's deputies responded to a home in Delta where Orihuela was found bleeding in the doorway. As deputies sorted out what had happened, they learned that Orihuela had gone to the home looking for his girlfriend and once he found her hiding in a closet, he "grabbed her by the hair and started punching (her) in the head," according to a police booking affidavit.
Other people in the home came to the woman's aid and were able to get Orihuela out of the residence, despite one man being punched in the head multiple times, police said.
Orihuela then went to his vehicle "and pulled out a large framing hammer. (He) walked up behind (a second woman) and attempted to hit her in the head with the hammer," the affidavit states.
The woman was able to move just in time to avoid being hit in the head, but she was struck in the back with such force that it left an imprint of the hammer on her back, according to the affidavit. Orihuela then allegedly hit another man with the hammer on his hand as he tried to close the door to the residence.
"Obed used the hammer to put holes in the door and break out the door window. Obed exited the porch and threw the hammer, breaking one of the front windows. Obed went back to the trunk of his car and retrieved two razor blades, a wire cutter, and an ice pick and attempted to enter the residence again," according to the arrest report.
Deputies say Orihuela was "extremely intoxicated" when they arrived.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
