Habitual offender allegedly beats up 2 men, steals car

A habitual offender who admitted he was intoxicated and smoked a joint of marijuana allegedly broke into a neighbor’s house in San Antonio, beat up the male neighbor and the latter’s male friend, and sped off with a stolen car before crashing in As Perdido on Sunday night.

Nicolas Villanueva Cabrera, 22, was arrested on Monday morning for burglary, theft, disturbing the peace, assault and battery, and theft of vehicle.

Police said Cabrera admitted beating two men and stealing a car, saying he could not remember much because he drank three cups of vodka mixed with soda and had smoked marijuana.

At yesterday’s hearing, Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio imposed a $7,250 cash bail on Cabrera and set the preliminary hearing for Feb. 20 at 9am.

Assistant attorney general Shannon Foley appeared for the government. Assistant public defender Matthew Meyer was appointed as counsel for Cabrera.

Police detective Therese S. Kintoki stated in her report that the Department of Public Safety Central received a call on Sunday at 8:45pm from a man who reported a theft of vehicle and assault and battery incident.

Kintoki said that, according to her interview with the victim, he stated that his neighbor, Cabrera, hit the front locked door of his house, then entered and took his car keys hanging on a deadbolt on the door located next to the front door.

When he asked Cabrera what he was doing inside the house, the suspect pointed a screwdriver at him and yelled profanities at him.

The complainant followed Cabrera outside and tried to prevent him from getting into the victim’s vehicle, a white 2008 Toyota Yaris with license plate ACM-487.

Cabrera punched the complainant on the left chest and left forehead. The victim tried to grab the keys out of the ignition, but the suspect hit his hand.

Cabrera then drove off, hitting a wooden fence, then backed out on the road and sped off to the main highway.

The complainant’s male friend told police that he was inside the house when Cabrera barged in. The friend saw Cabrera punch the complainant. The friend said he tried to talk to Cabrera, who, however, also threatened him and punched him in the forehead.

At 8:51pm that same day, Sunday, a police officer recovered the stolen car along As Perdido Road. Police learned that Cabrera lost control of the car, causing it to slide into the tall grasses on the shoulder of the road. The officer approached the car and found that Cabrera was not in the area and the vehicle was still running and not secured. The car was towed to the victim’s house.

A police officer arrested Cabrera the following day, Monday, at 7:58am.

Cabrera allegedly admitted committing the crimes and stated that he was planning to drive the car to As Perdido, Koblerville then to Pak Pak Beach where he would ditch the vehicle. He, instead, he got into an accident and walked home, leaving the car in As Perdido. He was treated in the hospital for injuries and later detained.

In September 2012, Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman slapped Cabrera with two years and six months in prison with no parole for beating up a man driving a moped, chasing another man, then robbing a woman at Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio. He was given credit for time served and was release dated from prison on July 19, 2014.

At the sentencing, Wiseman noted that the woman’s life has changed as a result of Cabrera’s attack as she had to undergo psychological counseling for trauma. The woman also sustained injuries to the right knee and elbow.

Cabrera was tried as a delinquent in 2005 for burglary and theft, and in 2006 again for burglary, and had one or more cases in 2009 for assault and battery and other offenses, according to court records.

Wiseman said for these crimes Cabrera only spent a few days in prison along with probations, not enough to deter him from committing future crimes.