A Schuylkill County man remains in prison after allegedly spitting his own blood at a police officer on New Year’s Eve.
According to court documents filed by police in Mahanoy City, they responded to a call from the victim of a PFA violation just before 9 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2024. The woman said her ex-boyfriend – identified as Diego Cruz, 35, of Mahanoy City – was persistently messaging her, saying that he’d come to her house in the borough.
Cruz had a PFA against him that prohibited him from making contact with his ex. However, police say they saw and heard several messages from Cruz to the victim. In one of them, Cruz said that if he went to jail that the two of them would be joining her mother, who is deceased.
Police then went to Cruz’ home in Mahanoy City to take him into custody. They say Cruz answered the door, swinging the door open and aggressively walking outisde. He was placed in cuffs and put in the back of the patrol vehicle.
While transporting Cruz back to the Mahanoy City police station, officers say Cruz began to smash his head against the glass partition in their vehicle. This caused a laceration on his forehead, police say. Blood was observed on the partition and back seat of the patrol vehicle.
Police say as they tried to get Cruz out of the vehicle, he became very uncooperative. Cruz curled himself into a ball, not allowing officers to get him to remove him from the vehicle. He then threw himself on the ground, going head first out of the vehicle, police say.
By this time, back-up was requested from Shenandoah Police. As they were all entering the police station, Cruz reportedly spat his own blood, which was running down his face, at a Shenandoah police officer.
Cruz was arraigned just before midnight on Dec. 31 and charged with third-degree felony assault of a law enforcement officer and misdemeanors for making terroristic threates and resisting arrest.
District Magistrate Judge Anthony Kilker set bail at $50,000 cash and remanded Cruz to Schuylkill County Prison. Cruz has not yet posted bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled before Kilker on Jan. 30.
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