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May 8, 2008

Attack. . .

Rio Arriba County Magistrate Court Judge Alex Naranjo set Salais' bond at $100,000 cash-only Tuesday over his protests.
"It was the girl I was with, she set me up," Salais said, appearing by video from Rio Arriba County Jail.
"If you think I'm not going to give you a high bond I cannot help you, with these charges," Naranjo responded. "The thing is, since when do we carry guns with us all the time?"
Three spent .45-caliber casings were found on the side of Rio Arriba County Road 1, Lovato said. Armijo was walking down the road crying and told police she got out of Salais' car during an argument about money, when he stopped, got out of the car, shot at her three times, then punched her twice in the face, court documents state. None of the shots hit Armijo and she was not seriously injured, according to police.
State Police located the Glock handgun apparently used in the shooting at Salais' house, Lovato said.
Salais' mother Robin said Armijo was extremely intoxicated and asked to borrow money when she and her son came by Robin Salais' workplace just 30 minutes before the incident. Robin Salais said Armijo had previously gone to prison for shooting a boyfriend; according to an online courts database, Armijo pleaded guilty in 1998 to aggravated battery on a household member, but her sentence was suspended and she received only supervised probation.
Salais lost his left leg during a January 2006 incident at RHOC Express in Española. Salais allegedly was helping some friends beat up Gilbert Martinez, 30, of Española, when Martinez struck Salais with his car, according to statements made in court. Martinez was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but was acquitted in a November 2007 trial.
During the trial, Salais testified that he was a gang member in high school who had reformed himself after the birth of his daughter.
Awaiting Salais' arraignment Tuesday, his sister Rhiannon Montoya, who had expressed outrage at the jury's acquittal of Martinez last year, remarked on the irony of the situation.
Montoya said, "Manuel's facing the same charges as the man who took his leg!"

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