A former gang member with a long history of violence-related charges was served an arrest warrant after assaulting his live-in girlfriend, a Gallatin local, on Feb. 18.
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Officer Bryan Roberts with the Gallatin Police Department was dispatched to handle a domestic disturbance on Feb. 17. As Roberts spoke to the couple, the victim stated that her live-in-boyfriend, Joe Mario Velarde, struck the left side of her face during a verbal argument. According to the victim’s statement, Velarde has assaulted her before in the past. She also stated that Velarde had kicked in the front door to get to her after she attempted to lock him out. Officer Roberts noted in the probable cause report that the apartment door indeed appeared to be damaged. Velarde admitted to kicking the door and to the argument but denied the physical allegations.
Upon further exploration, it was discovered that Velarde is reportedly an ex-gang member with an extensive criminal history including a felony and misdemeanor charge of domestic violence in the state of Utah, charges for larceny, trespassing, unlawful use of a weapon, disorderly conduct, failure to obey an officer, and possession of a controlled substance.
The victim, Velarde’s girlfriend, told officer Roberts that she feared for her life, stating that she believed if Velarde didn’t leave, he would return to the apartment and beat her.
Velarde was served the arrest warrant on Feb. 18 with a $2,000 cash bond. He has a preliminary hearing set for 9 a.m. on March 2.