19-year-old accused of family violence in East El Paso identified
Update (November 19, 2024): Court documents identify the 19-year-old suspect as Elijah Tayshaun Odom.
The documents also reveal that the call to 911 first came in as a kidnapping in progress, but that when officers arrived, they determined that no kidnapping had taken place.
Officers booked him into El Paso's Downtown Jail on a combined $6,000 bond.
This incident happened the evening of November 12, 2024, official documents state.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A 19-year-old man is facing charges after officers say he assaulted a woman in an East El Paso neighborhood. Part of the incident was caught on camera by a Ring doorbell camera.
The video captures the moments in which a woman screams as a man lifts her off the ground and drags her through the rock landscaping outside a home.
ABC-7 spoke to neighbors in the area who said the screams of the woman alerted neighbors to call police.
ABC-7 reached out to El Paso Police and requested an on-camera interview regarding the incident. Police declined the interview at the moment because the case is still being investigated.
Police were able to confirm that a 19-year-old man was arrested for assault family violence, evading arrest, and unlawful restraint.
ABC-7 spoke to Sandra Garcia, executive director for the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence, who spoke on the incident captured on video.
“Incidents that are in public are actually much more dangerous for that individual because at that point the individual didn't care who saw,” said Garcia.
Garcia told ABC-7 that sometimes it can be difficult for victims of domestic violence to press charges because victims are thinking of what could happen to them once their aggressor gets out of jail and returns home.
Garcia says it's important for people to call police when they see a dangerous situation like the one captured in the video.
The Center Against Sexual and Family Violence has a 24/7 hotline where individuals can receive information and seek help. The hotline is anonymous and can be reached by calling (915) 593-7300.
On Wednesday, October 19, the El Paso County Attorney's Office put out a press release informing the public on how to apply for free protective orders online for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
The process is confidential and can be done by clicking here.
