The Phoenix man who led police on multi-jurisdictional chase that ended near Sky Harbor International Airport early this morning assured his girlfriend that "he wasn't going back to prison." That was right after he allegedly stabbed her, choked her, beat her head with a rolling pin, and then kidnapped her, court documents obtained by New Times show.
Eric Pastrano, 35, was arrested about 1 a.m. today after fleeing police, leading them on a fairly long chase, and trying to scale a razor-wire fence after ditching his car -- all with police hot on his tail.
According to court records, Pastrano became enraged with his girlfriend
as the couple was eating dinner with the victim's girlfriend at their
home on East Copperhead Road in Phoenix last night.
Pastrano learned the victim's daughter had a new cell phone and he was
furious that his girlfriend had spent money without getting his
permission (note: court documents show no record of employment for
Pastrano).
Pastrano dragged his girlfriend by the arm into a master bedroom where he punched her in the shin.
The shin punch was only the beginning of a beating would put Ike Turner to (ahem) shame.
Pastrano began choking the girlfriend. After a few minutes of cutting
off her air supply, Pastrano, an old pro when it comes to beating up
women (he has five documented cases of domestic violence, records show),
put a pillow over the woman's face before punching her.
The pillow, police believe, was used so the girlfriend would feel the
brunt of the punch without sustaining visible injuries -- in other
cases, women-beaters will often use phone books.
After a brief beating, Pastrano told the woman to go back into the kitchen and finish eating dinner.
But Pastrano wasn't done.
Once the woman was in the kitchen, Pastrano entered the room, as well.
He grabbed a rolling pin and clocked the woman in the back of the head,
leaving a large lump.
The woman went back to eating dinner while Pastrano paced around the house.
Still fuming, Pastrano grabbed a five-inch knife and stabbed her,
puncturing her right side. The wound, it appears, was not serious.
Pastrano then told the woman that he "wasn't going back to prison" and
that if he heard any cops come to house he would kill her. Then he told
her to grab her shoes because they were going somewhere. The woman
obeyed because, in the past, a refusal to such a request often caused
Pastrano to "kick her ass."
The two drove to a park near 15th Street and Southern Avenue where
Pastrano apparently calmed down -- a little bit. But police had already
been called and a family member alerted Pastrano that cops were in the
area looking for him.
Pastrano fled, as the woman -- now on the phone with police -- pleaded
with cops to stay away because she feared Pastrano might make good on
his murderous pledge.
Cops caught up with the couple and Pastrano led them on a high-speed chase through the airport.
The chase came to an end when Pastrano crashed into another car while
drive northbound in the southbound lane of Copperhead Drive. After a
brief foot pursuit, which included Pastrano cutting his hands while
trying to scale a razor wire fence, he was taken into custody.
Once in custody, Pastrano told police he and the victim had a verbal
argument but denied any physical violence, noting the victim "makes
things up all the time."
Pastrano was booked on one count of kidnapping, five counts of
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of endangerment, one
count of unlawful flight from law enforcement, and one count of driving
with a suspended license. He's being held without bond (so much for not
going back to jail). His next court date is scheduled for January 11.
