Grand Meadow man pleads guilty to assault

Published 7:18 am Monday, March 15, 2010

A Grand Meadow man accused of threatening a sheriff’s deputy with a cane and spitting at authorities while in a squad car pleaded guilty to assault Thursday.

Cesar Andrade, 45, will appear in court April 16 for sentencing on the fourth-degree assault charge. Two other charges were dismissed as part of his plea deal.

According to a criminal complaint, deputies went to Andrade’s residence on 700th Avenue on the night of Feb. 25 because a car registered to someone else at the home was sitting on a nearby roadway, blocking one lane of traffic.

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When deputies came up to the house, Andrade began yelling and swearing at them from inside. He came outside and continued the profanities, and at one point the man raised a cane in a threatening manner, the complaint states.

A deputy grabbed Andrade’s arm to stop him from swinging the cane, at which point Andrade pulled back violently. The deputy used a chemical spray and eventually handcuffed the man, the complaint states.

While transporting Andrade to jail, he continued yelling at deputies and began spitting in the back of the squad car, the complaint states. He also complained of stomach pain, so he was taken to the Austin Medical Center for evaluation — wearing a spit hood to protect medical staff, according to the complaint.

The charges come on the heels of two recent domestic assault convictions for Andrade — one in March 2008, the other this past summer.

At the time of his Feb. 25 arrest, Andrade registered a 0.156 blood-alcohol content, which is nearly twice the legal limit.