A 35-year-old Socorro man faces a felony charge after his pregnant wife told police he choked her, held a handgun to her temple and threatened to kill her, according to KTSM 9 News. Rogelio Enriquez Jr. was arrested Friday after officers responding to the report found him hiding in a crawl space beneath a furnace.
Escape Through a Bedroom Window
The incident was reported shortly before 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Nevarez Palms Apartments, 120 North Nevarez Road, according to KTSM 9 News. The station reported that the woman told police Enriquez pushed and choked her, then pressed a handgun against her temple and threatened to kill her. She said the assault caused pain and contractions before she escaped the apartment through a bedroom window.
According to the station's account, Socorro police classified the call as a family-violence incident in progress and treated the situation as involving an armed, barricaded subject when officers arrived. A police quick reaction force also responded.
A Tense Standoff Ends With a Hidden Suspect
Domestic-Violence Support in El Paso County
The Center Against Sexual and Family Violence says its emergency shelter offers food, clothing and security, along with counseling, crisis intervention and support groups for people who need a safe space, according to the organization.
Officers attempted multiple times to communicate with Enriquez and get him to surrender peacefully before deploying chemical agents into the residence, per the same account. While the department's criminal investigations division worked to secure search and arrest warrants, officers eventually entered the building and located Enriquez concealed in a crawl space beneath the furnace, according to police.
Enriquez was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was expected to be booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility, the report states. No additional details about the case's next steps have been released.
