Man pleads guilty to third degree assault – domestic violence

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a domestic violence charge Tuesday.

Matthew Lee Garza, 41, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault, criminal negligence and causing bodily harm with a weapon in Grant County Superior Court on Oct. 8. Judge Tyson R. Hill sentenced Garza to 364 days in custody, with 274 days suspended.

According to a statement filed by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to Samaritan Hospital around 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 following a report from the Multi-Agency Communications Center of a physical domestic disturbance. The victim had sought shelter at Samaritan Hospital, the GCSO statement said.

Responding officers encountered the victim, who was receiving medical treatment for facial injuries. She was sent to a hospital outside the area to receive specialized care.

The victim said her partner, Garza, caused the injuries.

Later that evening, MACC received additional reports of a verbal disturbance involving Garza. Around 10:30 p.m., law enforcement located the individual in a shed located in the backyard of a residence on Vandenberg Avenue, near where the first assault allegedly took place.

When questioned, the suspect admitted to knowing the victim and identified her as his girlfriend.

Garza was placed under arrest and denied harming the victim.

The suspect was transported to the Grant County Jail and booked for second degree assault – domestic violence. Grant County prosecutors reached a deal with Garza to plead guilty to third-degree assault – domestic violence on Oct. 4.