ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – An Abilene man has been found guilty of fatally assaulting another man in Taylor County.

Mario Valerio was indicted in March 2023 on charges of Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of Methamphetamine. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on January 2 at a home on North Bowie Drive.

According to a press release from the Abilene Police Department, Valerio was accused of fleeing the scene of a reported family disturbance. Officers arrived to find Bruce Alan Payne Jr., 35, suffering from a severe blunt force trauma injury. Payne was transported to a hospital, where he later died. A woman also sustained minor injuries during the incident.

Valerio was arrested without incident near the scene shortly afterward.

The case was heard in the 350th Dist

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