Man sentenced to three years probation

A district judge on Wednesday sentenced a Tucumcari man to three years of probation and other conditions after he was convicted of stabbing another man at a convenience store.

Judge Albert Mitchell Jr. gave Adrian Andrade, 26, a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony that could have carried a three-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.

Andrade was ordered to make a $100 donation to the Quay County Domestic Violence Program, provide a DNA sample to the New Mexico Department of Corrections and pay a $100 fee for the DNA index system.

Mitchell ordered Andrade to continue with his mental-health counseling and go through substance abuse screening, according to online court documents.

Andrade was ordered to refrain from contact with the victim, Raymund Holliday. Mitchell said any violation of probation would lead to a prison sentence.

District Attorney Timothy Rose said Holliday did not want to pursue charges against Andrade. Rose said Andrade had “reasonable fear” of Holliday and that Andrade should continue with his mental-health treatment.

Andrade’s attorney, Roger Bargas of Tucumcari, said his “remorseful” client has a tendency to suffer panic attacks. Bargas said Andrade owns a medical-marijuana card and that acquaintances, including Holliday, had expected him to share his “high-grade” pot with others at his residence.

Andrade and Holliday bumped into each other June 1 at a Tucumcari convenience store, and Andrade said he felt intimidated. The two exchanged angry words, and a clerk told them to take their argument outside.

According to Bargas, Holliday pulled off a heavy chain around Andrade’s neck, sparking an altercation. After an exchange of blows, Andrade pulled a folding pocketknife, stabbed Holliday and fled the scene. According to a police report, the victim was stabbed in the back and face.

Bargas said the knife didn’t injure any vital organs, and Holliday’s wounds were stitched up at an Amarillo hospital. Holliday, he said, “downplays the whole incident and didn’t want a criminal prosecution.”