Copperas Cove man arrested after alleged brutal attack on daughter

Copperas Cove police arrested Jeffrey Scott Gomez after investigators say he violently attacked his daughter during a fight at home, then held her in a bedroom for roughly 12 hours. He was jailed on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint.

Police first were called the day after the alleged assault, after someone contacted officers and said the victim had been beaten badly but could not safely speak for herself because she had been threatened with death, according to the arrest affidavit described in the report. When officers were later able to interview the victim, she described a dispute that started over a woman who had been expected to come clean the house. The victim objected and mentioned spray-painting the walls, which allegedly angered her father.

The affidavit says Gomez slapped her, knocked her to the floor, punched her repeatedly while she was face down, banged her head against the floor several times and dragged her by the hair. Officers were told he struck her with a clipboard that broke, then used a metal lamp that also broke during the assault. Police reportedly observed injuries consistent with her account, along with a room in disarray, broken household items and blood stains on the bed.

The case carries both violent-crime and child-protection implications because the alleged victim is Gomez’s daughter. Under Texas law, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon can be charged as a third-degree felony in relevant circumstances, and unlawful restraint is a separate offense under Penal Code Chapter 20. In a case involving a child, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services says suspected abuse or neglect must be reported, and it directs people to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400. DFPS says Child Protective Services investigates reports of abuse and neglect involving children.

Coryell County, home to about 83,093 people, is small enough that allegations of this kind can reverberate quickly through a neighborhood, a school community and extended family networks. Copperas Cove itself covers about 18.0 square miles, and a case like this places renewed attention on warning signs that relatives and neighbors should not overlook: unexplained injuries, a child who appears frightened to speak, threats of violence, and signs that someone may be isolated or prevented from leaving a room. In this case, investigators said the allegations included all of those elements, turning a domestic dispute into a serious public-safety and child-safety matter.