Sells Man Sentenced to 31 Months' Federal Prison for Assault with a Hammer

     TUCSON, Ariz. – On June 25, 2019, Eli Lawrence Manuel, 30, of Sells, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 31 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Manuel had previously pleaded guilty on March 6, 2019, to assault with a dangerous weapon. 

     On July 6, 2017, Manuel assaulted the victim, a pregnant woman, by striking her on her forehead and stomach with a hammer.  The assault happened on the Tohono O’odham Nation Indian Reservation. Both Manuel and the victim are enrolled members of the Tohono O’odham Indian Tribe.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Raquel Arellano and Christopher J. Curran, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.