A member of one of El Paso’s most prominent families was arrested in connection with a stabbing during a fight in the Cincinnati Entertainment District over the weekend, police said.
Alfredo Joshua Loya, 27, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, an El Paso police spokesman said.
Loya is the grandson of Fred Loya Sr., a nationally known insurance businessman.
Alfredo Joshua Loya is accused of stabbing a man in the face during a fight about 2 a.m. Saturday in the 200 block of Cincinnati Avenue in the bar and restaurant area near the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso.
Loya’s high-profile attorney, Joe Spencer, said that although he had yet to review any evidence, it appeared to be a case of self-defense.
According to a police report, two officers assigned to monitor the Cincinnati Entertainment District saw a scuffle inside the Champagne Villain bar, with several people running out of it.
Witnesses pointed out to police that Eduardo A. Salas, 36, of Juárez, had been stabbed in the face, the report stated.
Officers and a witness then ran south on Stanton Street, where officers found Loya, who witnesses allegedly identified as the man who had stabbed Salas, the report stated.
A photo shared with El Paso Times on social media showed a stabbing victim with a large, deep gash on the side of his jaw.
An El Paso County Jail log shows that Loya was released from jail Saturday on a $32,000 bond.
Loya is the son of Fred Loya Jr. and grandson of Fred Loya Sr., the namesake of Fred Loya Insurance.
Spencer described Alfredo Joshua Loya as a “good kid.” Spencer had represented him on a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated case from 2017 that court records show was dismissed Aug. 5.
Alfredo Joshua Loya, of the 2000 block of Paseo Del Prado Drive, works for Fred Loya Insurance, according to the police report.
A LinkedIn profile lists Alfredo J. Loya as being in management in the Loya Insurance Group and working for the Fred Loya Insurance agency.
The large, family-run auto insurance company is based in El Paso and operates more than 500 agencies across the Southwest and other parts of the nation.
Fred Loya Insurance was founded in 1974 by Fred Loya Sr., who remains chairman emeritus, according to the company website. Fred Loya Jr. is the chief executive officer.
The Loya family also is well known for charitable efforts in El Paso and presenting an elaborate Christmas lights show at the family home each year.
Fred Loya Insurance officials could not be reached for comment.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at 915-546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.
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