Attempted murder case bound over

A case against Hugo A. Luna has been bound over to Hot Springs District Court. Luna faces felony charges of first-degree attempted murder and kidnapping.

According to court documents, on the morning of Friday, April 13 the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office received report that a driver on Highway 120 had located an injured female subject near mile marker 15.

During the course of an investigation involving DCI, it was found the subject had been riding with Luna for about a month, and became suspicious of him after he took her money and did not allow her to use her phone. Luna also allegedly would not stop in populated areas, or at rest areas or gas stations to allow her to use the restroom.

The woman also noted there was a substantial amount of blood that was not hers on a mattress in the sleeping area of Luna’s truck. Earlier on the morning the woman was found, she said, Luna strangled her until she lost consciousness. She woke up later in a ditch, knowing she was injured, walked up the hill and flagged down a passing car.

Luna was later arrested in Powell and the woman confirmed it was him based on a picture shown to her. Luna is currently being held on a $500,000 cash bond, and there is no information on when his next appearance is. If found guilty he faces a maximum of the death penalty or life in prison — with or without parole — and fines of $20,000.