Salinas resident faces assault with a deadly weapon charge
Morgan Hill – A Salinas woman was taken to the Santa Clara County Jail early Saturday morning for allegedly assaulting her cousin with a ceramic bowl.
Ester Bueno, 33, was arrested at the Chevron gas station on Monterey Road at approximately 1:12am. Officers originally believed Bueno was the victim of an assault, as she had run into the station asking for help and bleeding from her hand and arm.
As they investigated the incident, Morgan Hill Police officers learned that Bueno was traveling to San Francisco from Monterey with her cousin, Jesus Soto, 35, of Salinas and her boyfriend, Lionel Cruz, 41, of Salinas.
They all admitted, according to the report, that they had left Monterey after drinking heavily. Soto was driving Bueno’s car and apparently had hit something in the road somewhere between Monterey and Morgan Hill.
Bueno was upset with Soto for damaging her car, but quickly fell asleep. As they drove through Morgan Hill, Bueno woke up and was angry with Soto, so she hit him in the back of the head with a ceramic bowl, cutting his scalp.
Soto was then slowing the car to stop in the left turn lane of Monterey Road at Vineyard Boulevard when Bueno jumped out, cutting her hand and arm on the area of the car that was damaged in the earlier collision. She then ran into the Chevron asking for help.
Bueno’s car was parked at the station, unoccupied, when officers arrived.
While they were talking to her, Bueno became uncooperative, according to the report by Morgan Hill Police, and attempted to leave the parking lot of the gas station.
“She tried to leave, she was pulling away from officers, yelling,” MHPD Cmdr. Joe Sampson said Monday.
Officers detained her to allow paramedics to treat her injuries.
Sampson said neither Soto or Cruz was arrested.
“In order to arrest someone for driving under the influence, we have to see them driving,” he said.
