El Paso shoplifter suspect accused of slashing Albertsons security guard stays jailed

An El Paso man accused of slashing a security guard in the arm with a knife during a shoplifting attempt at a West Side supermarket remains in jail.

Anthony Higadera was arrested on a felony aggravated robbery charge after allegedly assaulting a loss-prevention officer, Antonio Dominguez, who tried to stop a theft at about noon on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Albertsons at 7022 N. Mesa St., next to Resler Drive, in the West Side.

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During a Thursday morning teleconference bond hearing, Magistrate Judge Antonio Aun refused to lower the $120,000 bond keeping Higadera at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown.

A public defense attorney, Adam Loving, did not directly address the armed robbery allegations at the hearing.

Higadera was allegedly known to steal from the supermarket and a store manager saw him enter the Albertsons before he was allegedly seen hiding items in his pants and under his shirt, Assistant District Attorney Jessica Lamberth said at the hearing.

The security officer later told police that he recognized Higadera because Higadera had allegedly shoplifted at another Albertsons previously, the prosecutor said.

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The security officer confronted Higadera as he was leaving the store without paying and told him to drop the stolen items. It was not specified what the items where.

When the guard walked up from behind, Higadera allegedly struck Dominguez, who then saw that Higadera “had a knife in his hand and realized he had been cut,” Lamberth said. Higadera left the scene.

Police arrived to find supermarket employees cleaning blood in front of the store entrance and an ambulance crew treating Dominguez for a cut to his arm before he was transported to a hospital, the prosecutor said.

Police found Higadera across the street from the Albertsons. He allegedly told officers that he had slashed at the security guard with a knife. Higadera was booked on an aggravated robbery charge.

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El Paso County Jail records shows Higadera, who resides on Campbell Street in the neighborhood of El Paso High School, had been arrested six additional times this year on misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and criminal trespass with his most recent arrest being on Nov. 6 on a charge of possession of less than two ounces of marijuana. He had been released on a $100 personal recognizance bond requiring no cash in the marijuana case.

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The recent jail history includes spending about two weeks in jail in April on six counts of criminal mischief before being released with time served, jail records stated.

Aun, the magistrate judge, refused to decrease the bond amount in the Albertsons case due to violent nature of the crime, the safety of the community and Higadera’s prior noncompliance with bond-release stipulations. Higadera remained jailed as of Sunday, Nov. 24.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man accused of slashing Albertsons security guard stays jailed