EL PASO COUNTY — At 11:53 p.m. on Wednesday, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) received a call for a domestic violence assault situation at a home in the 1400 block of Hathaway Drive in the Cimarron Hills area.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the victim had fled to a neighbor's home after being choked by the suspect, but reported that a young child was still inside.
After arriving, the Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as Mark Anthony Leon, who began yelling at deputies through the door and refused to leave when they arrived.
EPSO says that due to Leon's aggression, the EPSO SWAT Team arrived at the home at 3:30 a.m.
After approximately 90 minutes of communication between the EPSO Crisis Negotiators and Leon, he surrendered to deputies at 6:34 a.m.
Deputies immediately found the child and determined they were unharmed.
Leon was booked into the El Paso County Jail on the following charges:
- Assault in the Second Degree
- Assault in the Third Degree
- Harassment
- Domestic Violence
Sheriff Joseph Roybal's full statement on the situation can be found below.
“I am grateful to my Patrol, SWAT, our trained negotiators, and deputies for their quick response to this incident."
“There is no doubt their training, preparation, and actions ensured the suspect remained calm and ultimately surrendered peacefully, without harming himself or the innocent life involved."
“My deputies do an exceptional job, and I am incredibly proud of their work. At the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, our mission is to hold criminals accountable and provide justice to victims in the Pikes Peak region."
Pueblo community honors 13-year-old Joeylin McDonald with lantern ceremony
Family and friends gathered at the Riverwalk in Pueblo to celebrate the life of 13-year-old Joeylin McDonald, who passed away last week in a tragic accident at a youth program.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
