SAN ANTONIO – Two children are safe, and their dad is in jail after a five hour standoff with Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputies and SWAT negotiators.
The moment of relief came around 12:30 Monday afternoon, when the two boys safely walked out of an east Bexar County home in the 9800 block of New Sulphur Springs Rd.
“Obviously, they’re a little bit shaken up. They’re 12 and 9 years old. It’s an unfortunate situation to be in that position as a kid,” said BCSO Public Information Officer Deputy Johnny Garcia.
Soon after, their 32-year-old father, Marlon Avita-Reyes, walked out of the house and was immediately handcuffed, arrested, and charged with assault-strangulation.
Garcia said the incident started around 4:30 in the morning when BCSO deputies were called to the house for a domestic violence incident.
Earlier Monday, Sheriff Javier Salazar reported the boys’ 29-year-old mother was able to get away and call for help, but the kids were stuck in the home with their father, who would not come out.
“What we were able to find out is that there were no firearms inside. We do know that he had a bat. At some point, he was holding a bat,” Garcia said.
Garcia said negotiators and SWAT officers kept in contact with Avita-Reyes from about 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They were then able to de-escalate the situation, and no one was hurt.
“He came out peacefully. We didn’t have to deploy any any distraction devices, any bangs, which would have definitely caused some sort of disruption at the school. So that was a win for us,” Garcia said.
The home was across the street from East Central High School, so extra precautions were taken all day.
Early in the day, ECISD sent out a notification to parents that said:
“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, along with other local law enforcement including the ECPD, have responded to a stand-off at a location near the high school. Multiple units are on the scene, and the incident is contained. ECPD has increased its presence at the high school to ensure safe drop-off for students. Out of an abundance of caution, we have gone into a modified “Secure,” locking the perimeter down and keeping students in class. We will continue to monitor the situation and will update you as more information becomes available. Once again, there is no threat on campus, and everyone is safe and secure. If you know of a parent that does not receive these messages, please have them contact our office to ensure their information is up-to-date.”
School was able to return to normal once the standoff was over.
Avita-Reyes is no stranger to BCSO. Records show he has spent time in jail multiple times since 2007 for charges including burglary, assault, and evading arrest.
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