Man accused of flinging knife at ex-girlfriend as woman waited at red light

FONTANA -- Prosecutors have charged a man with attempted murder for allegedly throwing a knife at his ex-girlfriend after he saw her driving on Sierra Avenue.

Humberto Araujo Jr., 19, is accused of flinging a knife through the woman's open driver's-side window Jan. 3, hitting her in the face with the blade and leaving a two-inch gash on her cheek.

Araujo has also been charged with child abuse because the couple's six-month-old boy was in the back seat of the woman's car at the time of the incident, and authorities believe the knife nearly hit the child.

Araujo pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday in Fontana Superior Court, and is next due in court Jan. 15. He remains jailed in lieu of $1.2 million bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

Araujo's ex-girlfriend told police that she stopped at a red light at the intersection of Sierra and Randall avenues at about 7 p.m., and she saw Araujo standing at the corner.

The woman told police that Araujo regularly beat her during their two-year relationship, and he threatened to kill her after the couple broke up in November, according to a police report attached to Araujo's court file.

With that death threat in mind, the woman told police she thought of running the red light to flee. As she looked from side to side for cross traffic on Randall, she said she saw Araujo throw an object that hit her in the face.

She told police she drove away when the stoplight turned green. During the drive home she said she touched her face and noticed blood on her hands.

She told police she found a folding knife beside her baby's car seat when she arrived home.

Araujo was arrested at about 8:45 p.m. the night of the incident at his aunt's home in the 700 block of Ironwood Avenue in Bloomington.

While Araujo sat in the back of a Fontana police squad car after the arrest, he denied putting his child in danger, and said he would kill his ex-girlfriend, according to a police officer who was in the car.

The ex-girlfriend told police that Araujo was with a friend when he allegedly threw the knife, but the friend denied seeing the incident when he was interviewed by police, according to the police reports attached to Araujo's court file.

In past instances of alleged domestic violence, Araujo's ex-girlfriend told police that Araujo caused her a black eye, a swollen hand, and injuries to her neck and arms.

She also accused of Araujo of pointing a toy gun at her, and saying he wished it was real so that he could shoot her. The woman said Araujo did that more than once.