California man tried to kill another man with forklift, Arizona sheriff's office says
Authorities say Erwin Colato, a 36-year-old man from California, tried to kill another man with a forklift in Arizona. (Mohave County Sheriff's Office)
MOHAVE VALLEY, Ariz. - Authorities say a man from California who tried to kill another man with a forklift in Mohave County has been arrested.
Erwin Colato, a 36-year-old man from California City, California, appeared to be "distressed" and "indicated he had done something wrong that he was ashamed of" when he was found by deputies at a Mohave Valley business just after 10 p.m. on July 21.
"Colato explained that he had lowered a forklift onto a male subject and he didn't know if the man was dead," the Mohave County Sheriff's Office said.
Colato then showed deputies where the victim was located and once on scene, he was found pinned under a large forklift.
The victim was transported to a hospital before being flown to Law Vegas for treatment. He is currently in stable, but critical condition. His identity was not released.
Investigators say Colato admitted to assaulting the victim in a travel trailer before lowering the 32,000-pound forklift onto him "with the intent to kill."
Colato was arrested and booked into jail. He is accused of attempted first-degree murder.