By Brooke Curley
brooke@gilavalleycentral.net
SAFFORD – Domestic disputes can be difficult for authorities to understand, in a he said/she said situation, except for when officers come upon an assault in progress.
Loren George Cosay was booked into jail on assault, domestic violence, disorderly conduct, and possession of drug paraphernalia on October 6 when officers came upon Cosay actively assaulting his girlfriend.
A Safford police officer was called on Friday to the area of 6th avenue and 8th street in Safford in reference to a domestic dispute. When the responding officer came upon the location of the alleged dispute, he found a vehicle that was parked on the shoulder of the road facing west
According to the police report, as the officer approached the vehicle he saw that a male subject seated in the passenger seat was assaulting a woman by jerking her head back and forth by her hair. The officer was also able to see that the man in the passenger seat was hitting the victim with a closed fist.
The responding officer came up to the window of the car, opened the door, and ordered the man onto the ground. After Cosay was handcuffed, the officer performed a search and recovered a metal smoking device with what appeared to be marijuana residue. Afterward, tests were run to determine the content of the residue, and it was found that it was indeed marijuana. According to the report, the officer also could smell a strong odor of alcohol on Cosay’s breath.
During his search and arrest, Cosay screamed profanities at the officers and attempted to pull away from the responding officer’s grasp. Cosay also attempted to nudge the officer with his shoulder. Later, Cosay was placed into the rear of a police vehicle where he was read his Miranda rights, and asked if he had a valid medical marijuana card. Cosay said that he did not have a card. After this, Cosay was transported to jail, where he continued to attempt to pull away from the grasp of the officers and scream obscenities at the officers and detention officers at the jail.
When the female victim was interviewed, officers noted that she was bruised and bloodied. The victim said her boyfriend had been drinking at the American Club Bar during the fair parade while the victim was sitting with her children on the sidewalk across from El Charro. When the victim was driving her car with the kids in the back seat, Cosay became hostile toward her. According to the report, the victim said Cosay tugged at the steering wheel while she was driving with the children in the car. After the victim pulled the car to the side of the road, Cosay continued his assault until officers arrived.
Emergency services arrived and evaluated the condition of the victim, but she refused transport to the hospital. After being cleared by the responding officers as being fit to drive, the victim left.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 31 percent of women in the United States have been physically abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Safford has a Safe House located at 1601 S. 20th Ave in Safford. The Mount Graham Safe House’s phone number is: 928-348-9104 with an alternate phone number of: 1-888-269-9104. You can also visit the Mount Graham Safe House’s website by clicking here
The Mount Graham Safe House Services include:
Advocacy- Mobile and In-House
Court Escort
Legal Services
Emergency housing
Transitional housing
Clothing
Food
School supplies
Furniture
Local transportation
Self help groups
Parenting classes
Job skills classes
Children’s domestic violence education program to both resident and non-resident
clients.
MGSH Battered Immigrant Women Coordinator organizes local agencies to provide
training on the issues battered immigrant women face.
Other services as needed on a case by case basis.
The domestic violence crisis line is: 651-227-8284, the Statewide Toll-Free line is: 1-866-223-1111, or the National Domestic Violence line is: 1-800-799-7233.
