N.M. artist recovering from accident

FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2002

A New Mexico man was in stable condition on Thursday after being dragged by a vehicle for more than a half a mile in a bizarre incident tinged with bias claims.

Presley LaFountain, a sculptor who attended the Institute of American Indian Arts, suffered severe cuts and abrasions. He told police two men in a car were trying to kill him.

But the men, Andrew D. Lopez and Andres Brito, say LaFountain instigated the confrontation, according to a police affidavit quoted by The Santa Fe New Mexican. The document states that LaFountain called the men "faggots" prior to a scuffle outside the parking lot of a bar in Santa Fe that led to the dragging.

Lopez was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated battery and tampering with evidence.

Get the Story:
Suspect arrested in SUV dragging (The Santa Fe New Mexican 6/14)