People v. Hicks CA4/3

FACTS

At all times relevant, Hicks and L.W. were in a romantic relationship and lived together. L.W. had a daughter, A., from a previous relationship, and in 2017 she and Hicks had a son, K., together. Their relationship was described as “volatile. They loved each other. They argued and fought a lot.” Their fights were sometimes physical. Hicks testified that L.W. used a knife to inflict a small cut on his face and on his hand during a fight while they lived in Nevada. On another occasion, he testified, she hit him with a bag while he was lying in bed. There was also evidence Hicks inflicted a number of injuries on L.W., including black eyes on multiple occasions, bruises on her arms, a “knot” on her forehead, an injury to her lip, and missing hair on her scalp. Hicks had no convictions for domestic violence, but had discussions with family where he admitted committing such acts. After their son was born, Hicks told L.W.’s aunt that he was sorry for being physical with L.W. and that both of them had anger issues and would be seeking counseling. On February 8, 2018, at around 10:40 p.m., Deputy Diego Flores of the Riverside Sheriff’s Department was dispatched on a domestic…