Corona charged in melee, court records show

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The man who accused a Clovis police officer of using excessive force in August was arrested Thursday after chasing two men with a screwdriver in a child-custody dispute, court records show.

Jorge Corona, 26, is accused of chasing Greg Loya, 24, and Loya’s stepfather Sergio Berumen-Franco, 36, with a 10-inch Phillips screwdriver in a melee outside a home on East Grand Avenue.

No one was injured, although Loya said he and Corona traded punches and Berumen-Franco was brushed by Corona’s car and knocked to the ground.

“If he would have got me,” Loya said Friday, “he would have tried to kill me. I have no doubt about that.”

Corona declined comment.

The incident is the latest twist in a bizarre series of events surrounding Corona.

Corona’s accusations that Officer Brent Aguilar slammed him face first into the pavement during a traffic stop Aug. 3 are the focus of two pending Clovis police investigations — one internal and the other criminal. Aguilar has been placed on limited duty with no public contact.

Thursday’s skirmish ended with Corona facing two felony counts of aggravated assault.

Corona’s attorney, Dan Lindsey, said police didn’t thoroughly investigate and “I think they were very quick to pull the trigger ... they’re wishing to vindicate their officer.”

What happened Thursday, said Lindsey, has nothing to do with the takedown by Aguilar that broke Corona’s cheek bone.

Video of the takedown went viral soon after being posted on You Tube earlier this week.

Corona’s girlfriend, Teshia Lujan, is the mother of Loya’s 6-year-old daughter. She was also the driver of the car Aguilar stopped on Aug. 3 for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Corona was a passenger. He was arrested and charged with concealing identification and resisting arrest after being slammed to the pavement with his hands cuffed behind his back. She was later cited for driving while intoxicated.

Lujan said on Friday that Loya took their daughter without permission. She said she called Corona and asked him to go to Loya’s house on East Grand and get the child.

Loya said he spoke with Lujan earlier in the day and told her he was going to get his child.

Loya said Corona called him and demanded he return the girl. Loya said he told Corona to stay out of his business. Minutes later, “He showed up at my house,” Loya said.

“We got into it,” said Loya. “My stepdad was trying to separate us and he (Corona) hit him. My stepdad finally got Jorge into his car, pushed him into his car and told him to go home.”

Loya’s account of what happened next mirrored statement’s given police. From the police affidavit filed in Magistrate Court:

“Corona drove off going east on Grand, turned around ... and came back stopping in front of the house. Corona got out ... and had a Phillips screwdriver in his hand. Corona ran at the porch where Loya and Sergio were standing.”

Loya said both he and Berumen-Franco took off running, Corona chasing them and threatening them with the screwdriver.

Loya said Berumen-Franco eventually grabbed a limb from a stack of firewood near a garage to fend off Corona.

Corona was arrested later at his home, according to court documents.