Belen

A Belen woman was arrested on charges that she allegedly hit another woman with her vehicle outside the gates of Central Elementary School Thursday afternoon.

Michelle Sutton, 37, has been charged with misdemeanor aggravated battery, leaving the scene of an accident, driving on a suspended license and driving with an expired registration. Sutton is accused of allegedly hitting Erica Anaya Cordova, 26, of Los Lunas with her van.

Belen Police Lieutenant Dan Robb said the women were arguing before Cordova was allegedly hit at the intersection of Ross and Sixth Street, north of Central School. The two women were at the school to pick up their children after classes.

“These two females were have an on-going dispute between them when Cordova approached her (Sutton’s) vehicle, and they started to argue,” Robb said.

The police officer said the women told him two different stories about what happened. Robb said Cordova told him, while she was arguing with the woman, Sutton told her she was going to run her over.

“She says she started to walk away, and that’s when she ran into her legs,” Robb said. Detective Joe Griego said Cordova fell to the ground while Sutton backed up and drove away.

Cordova was taken to Presbyterian hospital and treated for her injuries.

“She was shaken up, scraped and bumped,” Robb said. “She was apparently hit on the bottom portion of her legs.”

The Belen woman reportedly walked into the police department a short time later wanting to tell police her version of what had happened.

According to Robb, Sutton told him Cordova was standing in front of her vehicle and wouldn’t get out of the way. “She said she just started to inch forward when she hit the other woman,” Robb said.

“She knew we were looking for her, and she came to the police department,” Robb said. “She felt she needed to talk to the police and tell us her story.”

After talking with the suspect and upon further investigation of the case, Robb said Sutton was arrested and booked into the city jail. Sutton was released later that night on a $400 bond.

Robb said the argument began after one of the women allegedly made a comment about the other woman’s child.

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Clara Garcia is the editor and publisher of the Valencia County News-Bulletin.
She is a native of the city of Belen, beginning her journalism career at the News-Bulletin in 1998 as the crime and courts reporter. During her time at the paper, Clara has won numerous awards for her writing, photography and typography and design both from the National Newspaper Association and the New Mexico Press Association.