POCATELLO -- A motion to dismiss 109 of 112 counts of aggravated assault against a man accused of using a wood-burning tool over a four-month period to burn 10 to 20 percent of a woman's body has been denied.

Sixth District Judge David Nye on Wednesday rejected the request by 60-year-old Jose Manuel Sanchez, whose attorney argued that insufficient evidence was presented at preliminary hearings held in February.

Nye reviewed transcripts of the hearings and ruled that enough evidence existed to support Magistrate Judge Robert Naftz's decision that the state had met its burden as to all 112 counts.

At the hearings in February, the unidentified woman testified how she had to hold the wood-burning tool while Sanchez placed his hand on hers and directed burns to her genital region and buttocks.