Mescalero man charged with assault in Indian Country

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Jaydyn Diamond Lester made an initial appearance in federal court on March 6 on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon with an intent to do bodily harm and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury of a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner in Indian Country. Lester, 18, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 4, 2022, Lester allegedly assaulted a victim, identified as Jane Doe, by shooting at her and hitting her on the head with the butt of a BB gun. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Jane Doe. The incident occurred in Otero County, New Mexico, within the bounds of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lester faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

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