San Angelo Man Indicted for August '23 Stabbing

SAN ANGELO— John Salas, 31, of San Angelo has been indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon after he allegedly stabbed another man after getting into an argument with his child’s mother.

According to court documents, on August 5, 2023, San Angelo police were dispatched to the 2200 block of Colorado Avenue for an alleged stabbing. Once on scene, officers located the victim on a back porch of one of the apartments with a stab wound to his abdomen. Officers also found the defendant, Salas, at the 2100 block of Colorado Avenue with a knife near him on the ground.

A witness who rents at the apartment complex said that Salas was staying with her in another room. The witness stated that she heard Salas and his “baby momma” arguing in his bedroom. The two took the argument into the kitchen when this witness opened the door and Salas’ partner stated, “help me”. She told Salas to calm down while he had a knife in his hand. The witness then stated that the victim saw Salas with a knife and came running into the apartment and tackled him. When the two went to the ground, the victim had been stabbed. Salas got up and realized that he had stabbed the victim and ran away.

During Salas’ interview, he stated that he remembered getting into an argument with his partner but that was all he remembered. When asked how the victim became involved, Salas said came into the apartment and tackled him and did not recall having anything in his hands at the time. Salas then allegedly left to look for his partner who had run away. Salas had blood on the right side of his face, blood on his shorts, and several scrapes on his arm.

When speaking with Salas’ partner, she stated that she had come to Salas’ apartment for diapers for their child. Once there, Salas began arguing with her and grabbed a hammer and broke his door down. Then, Salas allegedly grabbed a knife but never threatened her with it.

Salas’ partner said while they were arguing, men came to the back door to check on them when one of the men, the victim, jumped and tried to tackle Salas when she ran away. She stated that she was unaware of anyone being stabbed.

Officers located a silver bladed knife with a brown handle. A K9 officer stated that the victim said that Salas stabbed him. The victim said that he saw Salas make a move to hurt his partner and that he rushed in to protect her when he was stabbed.

Salas was arrested and booked into the Tom Green County Jail on August 6, 2023, and is currently an inmate being held on $75,000 bond.