Sex assault case moved to district court

CLOVIS — The case of a man accused of assaulting a woman during a vacuum cleaner sales call earlier this month was moved this week from magistrate court to the district office.

Court officials noted the intention of District Attorney Andrea Reeb to bring the case against Brandon Barron, 27, to a grand jury.

Barron, of Albuquerque, was charged March 17 with third-degree felony sexual penetration of a woman whose home he entered days earlier in Clovis while selling a vacuum cleaner.

His attorney, Richard Valdez, could not be reached Thursday for comment. His next appearance in court is yet to be scheduled.

In an unrelated case also filed March 17, Bruce Bender, 63, heard a preliminary hearing Thursday morning regarding his alleged striking of a child at a Prince Street restaurant.

Bender is charged with abuse of a child, disorderly conduct, and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

A witness told the magistrate court Thursday that she saw Bender punch a 6-year old child in the face after the child refused to sit still at the table with him.

The witness, Susan Gomez, told the court Bender told the child he would make him spill his beer if he kept fidgeting in his seat. Soon after, Bender stood up and reached across the table to strike the child on his face before leaving the restaurant, said Gomez.

Bender’s attorney, Benjamin Herrmann, said Bender only gave the child a light slap and argued the event did not meet the terms of “cruel punishment” described in his charges.

Alexander Vang represents the state on this case.

Bender is scheduled to appear again in magistrate court April 20 at 1:30 p.m.