SAN ANTONIO – Eric Mendez, 42, is accused of purposely hitting a woman with his Jeep after a parking lot dispute.
It happened at a time when he wasn't even supposed to be driving because he was on probation after his third arrest for driving while intoxicated, an arrest warrant affidavit stated.
A 58-year-old woman told San Antonio police that Mendez purposely hit her, knocking her to the ground Jan. 5 in a parking lot outside an HEB store in the 5900 block of Babcock Road.
The affidavit stated that she said she had noticed an elderly driver attempting to back out of a parking space but he was unable to do so because a Jeep was behind him, inches from his bumper.
The woman said that she approached the driver in the Jeep and told him to back up. At that point, she said he cursed at her.
She said a few minutes later, as she was walking toward the store, she heard a car accelerate, then felt the vehicle hit her, knocking her down, the affidavit stated.
The woman said the driver yelled at her, asking her why she had hit his car, the affidavit stated.
According to the affidavit, the woman suffered injuries that required her to be treated by a doctor.
Police said they found witnesses to the incident. They said the woman also took pictures with her cellphone of the vehicle involved, and they used the license plate number to track down Mendez.
The affidavit stated that investigators spoke with Mendez's probation officer, who told them that he was on probation after his third DWI arrest and was not supposed to be driving at that time.
Mendez was arrested Thursday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
