Buckeye police arrested a man Friday accused of strangling a minor and other victims, after they barricaded themselves in a room to call the police to avoid continued strangulation.
Santiago Pedro Macias, 43, faces charges of aggravated assault on a minor, aggravated assault impeding another's breathing and unlawful imprisonment, according to a Buckeye police report.
Police were called to the residence in question at about 1 a.m. after a victim reported the suspect was allegedly strangling her and feared he was going to kill her.
According to the police report, upon arrival, the suspect was observed on the second floor of the residence yelling. Once he saw the police, he allegedly barricaded himself in the residence and refused to open the door.
Dispatch informed the responding officers that the victims had locked themself inside a bedroom to separate themselves from the suspect, according to the report. Police also learned that one victim was bleeding and that multiple victims had been strangled.
Police forced entry into the residence when the suspect refused to comply with commands. The door was deadbolted and blocked by a couch, according to the report.
Once inside, the defendant charged toward the victims’ safe room, and officers used less-than-lethal force to arrest the suspect.
Three victims in total were strangled, according to the report. First responders confirmed that the victims had redness around their necks consistent with strangulation.
A 14-year-old victim advised that while the defendant was strangling her, she felt afraid that the defendant was going to kill her, according to the report.
Macias was booked into Maricopa County Sheriff's Office custody and given a $75,000 bond.
