MOAB — A Moab man who was scheduled to go on trial next week for the attempted murder of his girlfriend has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
Phildrid Nez was initially charged with attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, forcible sex abuse and aggravated domestic violence assault. Court records show he pleaded guilty earlier this month to reduced charges of aggravated assault, burglary, damaging a communication device and interfering with an arrest.
On Feb. 17, Nez pleaded guilty to attempted violation of a jail release agreement, a class B misdemeanor, for trying to call his girlfriend from the Grand County Jail after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting her.
After he left the courthouse, Nez went to his girlfriend's home where he physically and sexually assaulted the woman before she was able to grab a gun and lock herself in her car, according to a jail report.
"While (the woman) was in her vehicle, she advised Phildrid that he needed to leave her alone, and she left to go and pick up her friend," the report states.
Nez was gone when the woman returned home, but he showed up again that day. The woman told police Nez pushed his way inside the house, so she pointed a gun at him.
Nez took the gun away from the woman and threatened to kill himself with it, police said. The woman tried to use her cellphone to call for help, but Nez took the phone from her, too.
The woman was eventually able to retrieve her phone and get to a bathroom, locking herself inside, police said. She sent several text messages to friends, telling them Nez had a gun and asking them to call 911.
When officers arrived at the house, Nez kicked in the bathroom door, pointed the gun at his girlfriend's head and pulled the trigger, the jail report states. Nez had removed a bullet from the chamber earlier in the dispute and "had forgotten to put in another round," so the gun didn't fire, police wrote.
Nez put the gun on a bathroom shelf and then let officers into the house. Police said Nez resisted arrest, so a Taser was used to subdue him.
Nez is scheduled to be sentenced July 14. He faces up to 15 years in prison for the aggravated assault conviction and up to five years in prison for the burglary conviction. The remaining charges are misdemeanors that carry maximum sentences of six months in jail.
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