Santa Ana police say an officer was nearly run over on May 31 at the Santa Ana Star Casino in Bernalillo by a man who allegedly tried to cash a fraudulent check.
According to court documents, Eberado Ruiz Valdez, 45, of Carlsbad, went to the casino around 2 a.m. and tried to cash a check for $900. When casino employees realized the check was fraudulent, they held Valdez’s driver’s license and called police.
Upon arrival, two police officers found Valdez sitting in his car in the casino’s parking lot. One of the officers approached Valdez’s vehicle from behind in his police vehicle, while another officer approached him from the front, according to court documents.
As the officer approached Valdez from the front, court documents state, Valdez turned on his car. The police officer writes in a criminal complaint that he ordered Valdez to exit the vehicle, and drew his firearm.
Instead of exiting, court documents state, Valdez rolled down his window, yelled something at the officer and began accelerating toward the officer “in an aggressive manner.”
Fearing for his safety, the officer had to jump out of the way of Valdez’s vehicle to avoid getting hit, according to the criminal complaint.
Valdez is charged with one count of issuing worthless checks and one count of aggravated assault upon a peace officer.