Man charged with breaking into house

EPHRATA - A Moses Lake man is accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's house and holding a knife over her while she was sleeping.

Prosecutors charged Mauro Balderas Jr., 39, in Grant County Superior Court with first degree burglary and residential burglary.

Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz set bail at $50,000.

Balderas allegedly snuck into his ex-girlfriend's home through a broken window, took a knife from the kitchen and went into the room where his ex-girlfriend and a man were asleep, according to a Grant County sheriff's report. The two allegedly woke up to find Balderas standing next to the woman with the knife.

Balderas reportedly said the woman was his girlfriend and wife, and eventually placed the knife on a dresser, according to the police report. The man allegedly approached Balderas, telling him he needed to leave, and the woman was his wife.

Balderas allegedly approached the man like he wanted to fight, and the man punched Balderas in the mouth, according to court records. He threw Balderas out of the home, and called 9-1-1.

When Balderas was being transported to the Grant County Jail, he allegedly started speaking to the officer, admitting to entering without permission, and then saying he should have killed his ex-girlfriends's new boyfriend, according to court records. He reportedly admitted to not caring about restraining orders, saying he broke them many times in the past and would break them again.

A deputy reported having responded to calls involving Balderas entering his ex-girlfriend's house and not leaving, according to the police report. The officer and the man reported Balderas seemed intoxicated at the time of the incident.