Man convicted in nose biting

Clovis, NM ~ Ninth Judicial District Attorney Matthew Chandler announced today that a Clovis man was found guilty of Aggravated Burglary and Aggravated Battery by a Curry County Jury for biting a large portion of a victim’s nose off during a violent altercation.

According to District Attorney Matthew Chandler the incident occurred on April 19, 2009, when Joey Maes, age 36, was asked to leave a social gathering in Clovis. Shortly after leaving the residence, Maes returned and kicked in the front door of the home, ran into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and began threatening the occupants. A few people attempted to subdue Maes while another person called 911. Clovis Police Department responded to the call and found that Maes had already left the area. Several witnesses told police that one man tried to take control of the knife that Maes was holding and during the struggle Maes bit the end of the man’s nose off. Officers found the nose laying on a cutting-board in the residence where the incident occurred. Shortly thereafter, the victim presented himself to the Plains Regional Medical Center for treatment.

A Curry County jury deliberated for less than twenty minutes before returning with guilty verdicts for the Aggravated Burglary and Aggravated Battery charges. A sentencing hearing will be set in the next ninety days, where Joey Maes will face a maximum sentence of thirteen (13) years in the New Mexico State Penitentiary. District Attorney Matthew Chandler stated, “The conduct surrounding this altercation is repulsive, and we intend to ask for the maximum sentence on behalf of the victim for the pain and suffering he has experienced.”