An Elfrida man who was the subject of a nationwide officer safety alert a decade ago is back in the Cochise County jail after the amount of his bail was drastically increased in case in which he is accused of threatening a woman with a gun last month and assaulting her while she held an infant.
Eric Eugene Drabeck was arrested March 17 on suspicion of a committing a violent domestic violence attack at his residence the day before in which a woman was purportedly stomped on several times and threatened with a handgun. The woman’s injuries weren’t life-threatening, but Deputy Cody Essary of the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office noted she may have suffered a head injury during the assault.
Justice of the Peace Alma Vildosola ordered Drabeck, 35, to remain in jail pending further court proceedings in lieu of $5,000 bail. He was released from custody March 20 after someone paid a $500 non-refundable fee to have AAA Southern Arizona Bonding Service post a $5,000 surety bond.
Then on March 26, Deputy County Attorney Michael Powell presented the case to the county grand jury at which time he asked for Drabeck’s bail to be reset at $50,000 based on the severity of the incident.
The grand jurors returned a nine-count indictment, including three felony counts of assault, aggravated assault for attempting to impede the woman’s breathing, assault with a firearm as a deadly weapon, and disorderly conduct with a weapon. The indictment also includes a misdemeanor charge of endangerment involving a child.
An arrest warrant was issued upon issuance of the indictment. Drabeck surrendered himself to the sheriff’s office on March 30 and his bail was formally set at $50,000. A bail-bond company writing a bond for Drabeck’s pretrial release must collect a $5,000 non-refundable fee and will likely require a pledge of collateral.
The jail has been ordered to make Drabeck available for formal arraignment on April 6 at which time a trial date will be set. He has already been appointed a public defender.
In February 2010, a then 25-year-old Drabeck was the subject of a nationwide law enforcement officer safety alert after threats were made against the U.S. Border Patrol.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security alert, federal authorities received information at the time that Drabeck and his brother Robert had discussed shooting a USBP agent.
The alert noted the Drabecks had “lengthy criminal histories” and were suspected of being involved in a drug smuggling operation. All law enforcement officers were urged to “use extreme caution” when dealing with the men.
Drabeck was also indicted in an assault case in 2018. However, those records were not immediately available to Arizona Daily Independent due to access restrictions at the courthouse.
