$50K bail imposed on man accused of strangling woman

The Superior Court has imposed a $50,000 cash bail on a man accused of strangling his former girlfriend because he was allegedly jealous of her new partner.

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho imposed Wednesday a $50,000 cash bail on Kelvin Cabrera Sanchez, 35, who is charged with assault and battery, strangulation, interfering with a domestic violence report, disturbing the peace, and domestic violence.

Sanchez was remanded back to Department of Corrections custody and was ordered to return to court on March 4 for a preliminary hearing.

Assistant public defender Emily Thomsen was appointed to represent Sanchez. Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds is prosecuting the case.

According to the complaint filed against Sanchez, the Department of Public Safety received a call on Feb. 19, at around 4:34pm, from an off-duty officer about an incident at the AJ Poker in San Antonio. At the scene, the victim alleged that Sanchez became physical with her.

In a follow-up interview with the victim, she told investigators that Sanchez, who is her former boyfriend, had called to tell her he wants to beat up her new boyfriend and that he was outside the new boyfriend’s home.

The victim said she ended the call with Sanchez, but he allegedly continued to call, which eventually annoyed her so she sent him a message telling him that she was at the AJ Poker in San Antonio.

Later, while waiting for a friend to pick her up from the poker arcade, Sanchez allegedly showed up and smacked her forehead, causing her hat to fall off.

The victim said this led her to threaten to call the police and, as she was trying to call 911, Sanchez allegedly grabbed her phone and threw it against a nearby wall. Sanchez then allegedly pushed her, pinned her against a nearby wall, and wrapped his right hand around her neck.

The victim noted to police that she tried to call for help but she allegedly could not breathe. Soon after, Sanchez let go of her neck, shoved her, and walked away.

The victim also told police that Sanchez strangled her in February 2023, until she became unconscious.