Man who allegedly punched 6-year-old boy in Las Cruces has been arrested in Iowa

The man Las Cruces Police suspect of punching his girlfriend’s young son Monday and stealing her car was arrested Thursday in Muscatine, Iowa.

Juan Bazan Agilar, 45, is charged with one count each of child abuse and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

Las Cruces Police detectives received information that Agilar sold the woman’s Plymouth in Las Cruces and offered the buyer a bill of sale that indicated his address was in Muscatine, Iowa.

Las Cruces Police detectives alerted police in Iowa to Agilar’s possible whereabouts. He was found and taken into custody on a warrant shortly after noon, Central Standard Time, on Thursday, Nov. 20.

Agilar is expected to be extradited to New Mexico to face charges.

Las Cruces Police investigators say that Agilar was released from a hospital Nov. 16 and was prescribed medication which he allegedly intended to sell on Monday to an unidentified woman who resides on Colorado Avenue.

After driving away from the Colorado Avenue address at around 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, Agilar began arguing with his girlfriend and allegedly struck her at least once.

The woman’s 6-year-old son, who was in the back seat of the Plymouth Breeze, reportedly yelled at Agilar prompting him to allegedly strike the boy multiple times with a closed fist.

After returning to the woman’s home, Agilar allegedly got into a physical fight with the woman and her 16-year-old son.

Again, the woman’s 6-year-old son yelled at Agilar to stop hitting his mother.

Police say Agilar allegedly struck the young boy in the mouth, knocking out a tooth.

Agilar then fled the area in the woman’s Plymouth Breeze.