By Ariana Camarena
An accusation regarding nude photos led to an alleged assault with a screwdriver along with other domestic violence charges.
A preliminary hearing was held on Nov. 21, 2019, regarding the matter of the defendant Alejandro de Leon, his girlfriend, and his ex. The defendant faces counts of corporal injury of a cohabitant, dissuading a witness and assault with a deadly weapon.
The People called the alleged victim as their first witness. The witness testified that she had a romantic relationship with the defendant and knew him for a year and nine months. She testified that they had been living together for approximately five months prior to the alleged incident.
On Nov. 3, 2019, the incident occurred at their Woodland apartment at approximately one in the morning. The alleged victim testified that she returned home from work when the defendant began to tell her she was the person in the photographs he had. She testified that the photos did not contain a face. She testified that she denied these accusations but he continued to insult her and insisted she was the woman in these photographs.
The alleged victim testified that she went upstairs to the bedroom when she heard him talking on the phone with his ex. She then went to the bedroom and locked all the doors. She allegedly heard the defendant coming up the stairs and attempting to unlock the door. The alleged victim stated that she felt scared and hid in the closet.
The witness testified that the defendant came into the room upset, and she saw him holding a screwdriver in his left hand and a small knife in the right hand.
She testified that the defendant allegedly told her to stop lying and asked once more about the photos.
The defendant allegedly hit her in the right knee with the sharp side of the screwdriver, and struck her on her upper arm with his hand in a fist. She testified that she fell asleep after the incident because she was scared.
The defendant allegedly told the witness that if she called the police she wasn’t going to be alive by the time they came up the stairs.
The witness testified that the defendant changed his clothes and left. She testified that he returned around three in the morning and asked, “Do you know where I’m coming from?”
She testified that the defendant stated that he returned from his ex’s house to see his children, and proceeded to lie in bed next to the alleged victim.
At approximately five in the morning, the alleged victim testified that she woke up for work and proceeded to go to work a full shift.
During cross-examination, the witness stated that they had been arguing for six hours before going upstairs to the bedroom. She testified that the photos he was accusing her of were illegal and constituted as prostitution. The witness also testified that she talked to the police two days after the alleged incident and did not seek medical attention.
The second witness to be called by the People was the defendant’s current wife. She testified that they had been separated during the time of the alleged incident and have three children together.
She testified that she still had contact with the defendant and he would call and text her. She testified that on the day of the alleged incident, the defendant called her with an alleged nervous and aggressive demeanor. The witness was at work when the conversation over the phone occurred. The witness testified that the defendant allegedly told her he was going to come to her house and shoot everybody.
The witness testified that she was not afraid for her personal safety but was afraid for everyone else in the home since her children and the defendant’s mother were there. She testified that she proceeded to call 911.
The witness testified that she drove home and saw the defendant talking to his mother outside. The defendant allegedly began to go toward her car and started hitting her window with a pocket knife, and she reversed her car. She called the police later on that day.
The witness testified that she did not want to testify today for this matter.
The witness testified that the defendant had not been violent with her in the past nor did he break her window. She testified that she did not speak with the defendant’s current girlfriend and the alleged victim prior to the incident. She then testified that she spoke with her once when trying to get ahold of the defendant.
The third witness to be called by the People was Woodland Police Officer Evan Black. He testified that the defendant’s current girlfriend had visible injuries.
The third witness stated that the defendant, when interviewed, admitted to hitting the alleged victim “pretty bad.” He testified that he and his partner at the time of the incident would use methamphetamine. He testified that the defendant stated he would have assaulted her even if he had been sober.
Arraignment is scheduled for December 7, 2019.
