A Contra Costa County Sheriff truck blocks the entrance to Heather Drive a block away from the 1400 block of Rachel Road as law enforcement are involved in a standoff in San Pablo, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Police used a loud speaker to instruct resident Leo Ortega to exit the home with his hands in the air. Around 2 p.m. police released tear gas and shots were heard from a block away. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
BAY POINT — A local resident has been charged with using a shovel to knock out the eyeball of another man during a heated argument that started with an alleged incident of domestic violence by the victim, court records show.
Elijah Reynante, 26, of Bay Point, has been charged with attempted murder, mayhem, assault, and dissuading a witness for allegedly using a shovel to beat the victim’s face, not only slicing his eyeball but also knocking it completely out of the socket, authorities said. Reynante has pleaded not guilty and is due in court Monday for a preliminary hearing.
The charges were filed roughly six weeks ago, but the alleged incident occurred back in September 2023, on Maureen Circle in Bay Point. Around 9 p.m. on Sept. 5, Reynante allegedly witnessed a man shoving his girlfriend to the ground, and decided to intervene.
“Dude, you don’t hit a woman,” Reynante allegedly told the man, prompting the two to square off.
Eyewitnesses would later tell police that Reynante appeared to be losing the fight when he grabbed a shovel and struck the man in the head. The victim was hospitalized and his left eye was completely removed, according to police.
Police say a doctor who evaluated the victim’s injuries said they could have been fatal if he’d been struck with the same amount of force in another part of his head.
Reynante — who was on probation at the time — remains jailed in lieu of $730,000 bail, records show.
Originally published at Nate Gartrell