FARMINGTON, N.M.—A preliminary hearing for a Colorado man accused of killing a woman at Navajo Lake State Park has been pushed back, prosecutors said.
Jonathan Hunt, 54, of Ignacio was scheduled to appear Thursday in Aztec Magistrate Court, but Deputy District Attorney Eric Morrow said the hearing is now tentatively scheduled for next month. He did not say why the hearing was postponed.
Hunt faces an open count of murder in connection with the death of 56-year-old Patricia Pacheco, also of Ignacio. Authorities believe the two were sharing a campsite.
Authorities are uncertain when Pacheco died, but her body was discovered July 4 by a group of campers from Durango, Colo. The campers became alarmed at around 3:45 a.m. that day when a woman staying at their site awoke to find Hunt opening her car door and trying to pull her out.
Court documents state that when the campers confronted Hunt, he threatened to fight them before running into the bushes. While looking for him, they discovered Pacheco’s body.
Investigators believe Pacheco was beaten to death.
The campers eventually found Hunt and held him up until deputies and park rangers arrived.
In addition to the open count of murder, Hunt faces charges of assault with the intent to commit a violent felony, battery and two counts of misdemeanor assault.
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Information from: The Daily Times,
