A man who allegedly attacked a transit passenger at Clifton GVT Station in May has been arrested

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado (KJCT) – On May 13, officers with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) responded to a report of an assault that occurred at the Grand Valley Transit Transfer Station in Clifton.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a 51-year-old man lying next to the tracks. He was immediately taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital and treated for severe head and facial injuries.

After the man had been treated, he later stated in an interview that he had been sitting on a bench at the bus station when a man he did not know started a conversation with him that escalated into an argument. Camera footage from the station confirms the man’s statement.

The video shows the suspect pushing the man to the ground, throwing himself on top of him and repeatedly punching him in the face. After the suspect got up, he kicked the man in the head, smashing his head into concrete several times.

On Thursday, August 15, MCSO was able to locate the suspect, now identified as 40-year-old William Santillanes. He was arrested without incident and booked into the Mesa County Detention Center where he is being held on charges of first-degree assault with intent to cause great bodily harm.

This is all the information currently available.

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