Bond reduced for man charged with aggravated assault on an infant

Bond was reduced Thursday for a Brookings man charged with two counts of aggravated assault against a four-month-old girl.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hector Giovanny Munoz Muniz is facing the felony charges after the girl was brought to the Brookings Hospital emergency room last week.

According to the police report, they were called to the ER on April 3rd when the injured infant was brought in by Hector Munoz. An exam showed that her right arm had been broken and there was a fracture on the right side of her skull.

The report says Munoz admitted punching the girl in the head in March and grabbing and pulling her by the arm on April 2nd.

Bond had been set at $7500 cash only.

Magistrate Judge Abigail Howard reduced that to $7500 cash or surety, meaning Munoz only needs to post $750 and a bondsman would post the rest.

States Attorney Dan Nelson argued against the move, noting the suspect’s previous criminal history which includes arrests for possession and distribution of heroin and cocaine as well as burglary and grand theft in California. Nelson had argued for an increase in the bond based on the severity of the charges and criminal history.

The charges are both Class 3 felonies punishable by up to 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine.