City man charged in attempted murder

View larger image Virgilio Contreras-Martinez

Alleged victim says he was chased by man wielding knife

By Alex Bridges - abridges@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER -- A judge has granted bond to a city man accused of trying to stab another man after a domestic dispute Sunday afternoon.

Virgilio Contreras-Martinez, 56, of 1028 Opequon Ave., appeared in Winchester General District Court via video from the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center late Monday morning. Contreras-Martinez is charged with one count each of attempted murder and being drunk in public.

Officers with the Winchester Police Department received a call about noon Sunday for reports of a man with a knife chasing another male in the area of 23 E. James St., according to a news release issued Monday night by Sgt. Mark Lahman.

"After arriving in the area, officers spoke with the victim who told officers he was threatened by a male who had a knife and the suspect tried to stab him," the release states.

The alleged victim and suspect know each other, and the incident revolved around a domestic dispute, according to Lahman. The suspect made threats to the alleged victim before the incident, according to the release.

Officers found the suspect, later identified as Contreras-Martinez, near the 400 block of Millwood Avenue, the release states. He was taken to the regional jail where he was held without bond pending his appearance in court Monday.

The defendant told Judge David S. Whitacre, through a Spanish language interpreter, he has lived in Winchester for about three years. The man said he first moved to Virginia in 1997, then moved away briefly in 2006 before returning.

Whitacre said Contreras-Martinez had signed a document waiving his right to a court-appointed attorney. But Contreras-Martinez then told the judge he needed the court to appoint an attorney because he had no money. The judge told the defendant he must contact the court at least 15 days before the hearing if he cannot hire an attorney.

Whitacre set bond at $30,000 cash or surety and scheduled a preliminary hearing on both charges for Oct. 20. The judge began to order the defendant, as a condition of bond, to avoid contact with the alleged victim. Whitacre did not get a chance to identify the alleged victim because Contreras-Martinez interjected. The defendant tried to explain to the judge that he was the victim and that the other person had been threatening him, but Whitacre stopped the defendant from making any more statements.

No representatives from law enforcement or the commonwealth appeared at the hearing.

Details about the incident that led to the charges were still unavailable Monday evening.

Arresting documents filed in the court, which may have shed light on what caused police to charge Contreras-Martinez with the two offenses, were not available.

Attempted murder is a class 4 felony punishable by a prison term of not less than two years nor more than 10 years and a fine of up to $100,000, according to Virginia code.

Anyone with any more information is asked to contact the department's Criminal Investigation Division at 545-4704 or Crime Solvers at 665-TIPS.