Fall River Police report details alleged child abuse by Republican State Committee candidate Pantoja

Fall River Reporter has obtained a copy of a police report associated with the arrest of current candidate for Republican State Committee Angel Pantoja.

Pantoja, of Fall River, was charged last fall with two felony counts: Assault and Battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under the age of 14 and Assault and Battery on a child with injury. Pantoja himself has identified the minor child involved in the allegations is his son.

The Fall River Police Department report, prepared by Officer Sakhon Uon, gives some insight on circumstances leading up to Pantoja’s arrest and arraignment.

On Sunday, October 8th, 2023, the grandparents of the child reported to Officer Brandyn Silva that they picked the child for the weekend and learned that he had been struck in the face with a belt by his father, Pantoja. The alleged attack left bruising under the child’s right eye.

In an interview conducted by Catrina Avelar of the Child Advocacy Center, which was taped, Pantoja’s son stated that his father hit him with a belt twice while he was at his grandmother’s house. The child also stated that Pantoja told him to lie about his injury and say he walked into a tree. The report details other alleged examples of abuse at the hands of Pantoja, including Pantoja striking the child twice in the head. The child shared in the interview that his father told him “I hate you” while being struck.

The Officer Uon goes on to report that while at the interview, he observed slight redness under the child’s right eye and forehead. Photos of the injury were also provided as evidence from the Child Advocacy Center and after the interview, the child was brought to the Fall River Police Department and photographed.

Similar charges were first brought against Pantoja in 2021 but those were dismissed. Pantoja, who will be on the Republican primary ballot on Super Tuesday, is running for an open seat on the Republican State Committee. He is running against another Fall River resident, Gabriel “Boomer” Amaral. Both Pantoja and Amaral have unsuccessfully run for city council seats in the city. That election is Tuesday, March 5th.

Pantoja will be back in court for a pre-trial hearing on March 22nd.