The arrest affidavit for Spc. Jacob Avila alleges the soldier and another man assaulted and restrained Pvt. Melissa Centeno during a party Avila hosted over the weekend for members of his unit at his off-base residence. Centeno, who has served with Avila in the Fort Hood, Texas-based 3rd Brigade Combat Team since February, told police that Avila and another man, Lucas Curtis, attacked her after they witnessed her "making out" with another soldier.
Avila turned himself in to Copperas Cove police Tuesday night, a police department spokesman said, and had been released as of Wednesday afternoon. Lucas – who is not an active-duty soldier, Fort Hood spokesman Tyler Broadway said in an email – refused to answer investigators' questions over the phone, telling detectives to speak with his lawyer. More arrests are possible in the case, KCEN-TV and other local media outlets reported.
Lucas allegedly punched and choked Centeno, straddling her to prevent her from escaping and leading her to tell police "I literally thought I was about to die," the affidavit states. Centeno said Avila slapped her during the altercation; Avila admitted doing so in an interview with detectives, the affidavit states, and corroborated her account of the incident.
Another soldier removed Centeno from the room, she told investigators, and took her to the home of a military police officer, who drove her to Fort Hood's Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. She told police she'd suffered "abrasions to the right and left side of her face and neck" in addition to a ruptured eardrum and a mild concussion.
Centeno and Avila both serve as combat engineers, a position that's been open to women for less than a year.
Fort Hood officials provided service details for the accused and accuser, but directed further questions to Copperas Cove police.
"III Corps and Fort Hood takes all reports of assault seriously," Fort Hood spokesman Tom Rheinlander said. "Military law enforcement officials are investigating the allegations in cooperation with civilian law enforcement. The chain of command for the soldiers involved are aware of the incident and will ensure all appropriate measures are taken."
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
