Wellton man accused of killing his grandmother
He allegedly used picture frame as weapon, court records show
Prosecutors with the Yuma County Attorney’s Office have charged a 22-year-old Wellton man with murdering his grandmother last weekend, in what her husband thought had been an accidental fall in their home.
According to Wellton Justice Court records, Victor Manuel Bravo Jr. was arraigned on July 11 on charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with intent to cause serious injury, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated domestic violence.
Bravo, who has two previous domestic violence convictions, is currently being held in the Yuma County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond. His next court appearance — a preliminary hearing — is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on July 18.
Sgt. David Rodriguez, of the Wellton Police Department, said that sometime last Saturday evening, Bravo allegedly attacked his grandmother, leaving the residence afterward.
“He resides on the same property, just not in the same house,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez explained that when Bravo’s grandfather, who did not know about the
attack, came home and saw his wife lying on the floor, he called paramedics and reported that she had fallen.
Because Wellton police have responded to the home several times before for domestic disputes, Rodriguez said an officer was sent to the residence as well.
Rodriguez said once the officer arrived, he saw that the victim’s wounds were not consistent with that of a fall and an investigation into the incident began.
The victim, identified in court records as Maria Carmen Bravo, was rushed to Yuma Regional Medical Center and later flown out to a Phoenix-area hospital. She died from her injuries Tuesday morning.
Wellton police found Bravo about an hour later walking along Commerce Avenue, which is on the south side of town and across the Interstate 8 overpass, and took him into custody.
According to court documents, the weapon Bravo allegedly used in the attack was a picture frame. Court documents also indicate that Bravo has a history of domestic violence, with this being at least his third domestic violence offense in the past 48 months.