Knife-wielding man accused of slashing neighbor & kicking dog is arrested after hours-long standoff in east El Paso

EL PASO, Texas -- A SWAT standoff ended late Wednesday night with the arrest of an armed man who had been holed-up in an east El Paso apartment building after he allegedly slashed another man following what was said to be dispute over a dog, according to police and witnesses.

Jonathan Macias, 40, was being held in the downtown jail Thursday on $25,000 bond on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The standoff with Macias, which lasted several hours, began around 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Valley Ridge apartment complex at 1650 George Dieter near Vista del Sol Drive.

Police said the knife-wielding Macias had barricaded himself in his apartment after a confrontation with a neighbor, 45-year-old John Lance Leal. Macias allegedly slashed Leal in the face; police said the victim suffered minor injuries that did not require a trip to the hospital.

Witnesses told ABC-7, and police later confirmed, that the confrontation involved an argument over the neighbor's dog - and Macias allegedly kicked the pet in addition to slashing Leal.

The standoff continued late into the night, with officers using loud-speakers telling Macias to surrender. He eventually did give up peacefully about 11 p.m., after police obtained a warrant charging him with the assault.

Authorities did not indicate whether Macias had any previous run-ins with police or any known mental health issues.