Oct. 9, 2013. On Monday, Oct. 7, just before 8:00 p.m., Boone Police responded to a reported assault in progress inside Walmart located at 200 Watauga Village Dr. When officers arrived approximately three minutes later, they located the suspect, Diogenes Gabriel Morales, 21, in the parking area of the business. Mr. Morales began walking away from officers and would not heed their commands to stop. Mr. Morales was taken into custody as he attempted to run back inside the store.

Further investigation revealed that Mr. Morales had created a disturbance inside the store by jumping into a merchandise bin. Mr. Morales then approached an elderly male shopper and struck him in the face causing injury. This incident was caught on video surveillance. It clearly shows Morales walk up to elderly man and strike him in the face.
“ASU students are such a big part of this community, and this type of behavior is uncharacteristic. We are shocked that a 21-year-old ASU student would do such a thing,” said Chief Dana Crawford. “We are currently working with university officials to address this problem and to determine the motivation behind this attack.”
Mr. Morales was charged with simple physical assault and resisting arrest. He was taken before a Watauga County Magistrate where a $1,250 secured bond was set pending a Nov. 19 court appearance.
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