SAN JOSE – A 49-year-old San Jose man is facing federal charges he assaulted and robbed a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier last year in Japantown, prosecutors said.

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Robert Cordova, also known as Robert Cordona, was indicted in January on one count of robbery of a letter carrier and one count of assaulting a federal employee, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Cordova made his initial court appearance Monday.

The alleged crimes happened on Nov. 22 near the intersection of Taylor and 13th streets.

The carrier was sorting parcels for delivery at the rear of his mail truck when he felt the vehicle move, prosecutors said. He looked around the right corner of the truck and saw a man – later identified as Cordova – with his upper body inside the vehicle.

The carrier walked up to Cordova and asked him what he was doing. Prosecutors said Cordova responded by getting out of the truck and punching the carrier in the face.

Cordova then took the carrier to the ground, repeatedly punched him in the face and head, and tried to gouge out his eyes, prosecutors said. The carrier was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a broken nose and a fractured eye socket.

San Jose police officers found Cordova in the backyard of a house near the scene of the alleged crimes. He was arrested after the carrier identified him as the assailant.

Cordova is slated to return to court on Feb. 6 for a detention hearing, prosecutors said.