A 22-year-old former military man is behind bars after investigators say he stabbed his naked roommate more than two dozen times while the man slept inside an RV in Anthony, New Mexico.
Alejandro Mustafat was arrested July 15 and booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center following the July 2 attack at Anthony RV Park. He is charged with aggravated battery that may cause death or great bodily harm and assault with intent to commit a violent felony.
According to police documents cited by KFOX14/CBS4, the victim told investigators he was asleep on the couch inside the RV he shared with Mustafat when he was suddenly awakened around 2 p.m. by Mustafat allegedly beating him. The victim said the attack then escalated, with Mustafat allegedly stabbing him repeatedly.
The two men reportedly knew each other from their time in the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss.
The victim told investigators he tried to protect himself by raising his hands and arms during the attack. He eventually ran out of the RV naked and sought help at the Anthony RV Park manager’s office, where he reportedly fainted, possibly because of blood loss.
Investigators later documented 26 stab wounds on the victim’s body, including injuries to his arms, chest, back, neck, head, ear, and nose.
After the stabbing, Mustafat allegedly drove himself to the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office substation in Anthony and called 911, claiming his roommate had stabbed him.
When first responders met with Mustafat, he reportedly told them, “Yes, I brutally stabbed him,” before claiming that his roommate had attacked him and stabbed him while he was asleep in bed.
First responders, however, reportedly did not find stab wounds on Mustafat’s body.
Mustafat was taken to University Medical Center in El Paso, the same hospital where the victim was transported for treatment.
Six days after the stabbing, on July 8, Mustafat spoke with investigators and gave his account of what happened.
According to police documents, Mustafat said he had been living with the victim for about a month after meeting him at a Circle K in Anthony. Mustafat reportedly told investigators he had asked the victim whether he could stay in the RV while he looked for a job and a place to live.
Mustafat claimed that on the day of the stabbing, he returned to the RV after dropping his girlfriend off in Ciudad Juárez and found the victim sitting naked on the couch watching television.
He reportedly said he sat next to the victim and asked him for a drink because he was thirsty. Mustafat told investigators the victim handed him a Gatorade that he believed may have been poisoned because it tasted strange and made him feel dizzy.
Mustafat said he then went to bed and was awakened by the victim beating him. He claimed he pulled out a pocketknife to defend himself.
According to the police documents, Mustafat said that when he saw blood during the fight, he believed it was his own and thought he was being stabbed.
Mustafat also claimed he later called his girlfriend and learned the victim had tried to sleep with her. The victim denied that claim when speaking with investigators.
After being released from the hospital, the victim told investigators he had no intention of having a relationship with Mustafat’s girlfriend and said he did not know why he was attacked.
On July 22, District Judge Perea ordered Mustafat to remain jailed, finding him to be a danger to the victim and the public.
Mustafat is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.