A Chula Vista man who was seen violently kicking his girlfriend to unconsciousness in a motel parking lot was ordered Monday to stand trial for kidnapping, domestic violence, and assault charges.
The Aug. 6 videotaped beating was played in the preliminary hearing of Dorian Chavez Anguiano, 42, that was conducted by Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sontag.
Unlike a previous court appearance in which Anguiano declared “I’m the victim here,” he was quiet in court on Monday.
In the tape, a woman steps out of a car in the parking lot of a motel in Chula Vista at 7:05 p.m., and Anguiano comes up behind her and knocks her down, with her head hitting the pavement. He then kicks her face, and she doesn’t move.
The tape shows Anguiano looking around and then he pulls her into the car and drives off. Deputy District Attorney Ted Fiorito said Anguiano drove the woman to his residence, and she later was hospitalized for a severe concussion.
“He’s embarrassed by it, severely embarrassed by it,” said his attorney, Alan Spears, to reporters. “He’s manning up to it.”
Earlier parts of the video were played including the moments the couple sat in the car. The woman is seen slapping Anguiano several times and he doesn’t react.
Spears described the relationship between the two as “toxic.”
The victim was not called to testify. A motel employee who handled the surveillance tape testified, as did Chula Vista Police officers and a detective.
Sontag set a trial date for Nov. 8 and Anguiano pleaded not guilty. If he’s convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. He remains in jail without bail.
