Bluffton man charged with felony assault after family dispute about drinking, police say
A man faces felony assault charges after police accused him of trying to stab a family member carrying a child Saturday night in Bluffton, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Elvin Avila-Herrera, 30, of Bluffton, was charged with one count of cruelty to children, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, malicious injury to property and possession of a weapon in the commission of a violent crime.
Police were called to a home on Ulmer Road around 8 p.m. that Avila-Herrera shares with family members, said Maj. Angela Viens, a sheriff’s office spokesperson. Earlier in the night, Avilia-Herrera allegedly violated the rental agreement when drinking at the property, Viens said. A disagreement broke out between the cousins over frustrations that Avila-Herrera had now put the family in violation of their lease. During the argument, Avila-Herrera allegedly tried to stab one of his cousins who was carrying his 2-year-old daughter at the time, Viens said.
The cousin was cut when trying to block the knife. No other injuries were reported. Information about the kind of knife used in the assault was not immediately available.
When officers took Avila-Herrera to the detention center, he kicked parts of the patrol car and ended up damaging the door handle, resulting in a malicious injury to property charge, Viens said.
Avila-Herrera was in custody on Sunday at the detention center in Beaufort.
