A 46-year-old North Carolina man has been arrested in South Carolina after authorities accused him of brutally assaulting a woman in Burlington, leaving her hospitalized with serious injuries.
The Burlington Police Department said officers responded to the 2500 block of Maple Avenue on Saturday, July 11, after receiving reports that a man was violently attacking a woman. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had fled the scene.
Emergency medical personnel treated the victim before transporting her to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police have not released her identity.
Detectives immediately launched an investigation, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence and working to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault. Based on the evidence gathered, investigators identified the suspect as Leko Ladon Jones, 46, and obtained multiple arrest warrants.
Jones has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, assault inflicting serious bodily injury, six counts of assault by strangulation, communicating threats, and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to investigators, the number of assault-by-strangulation charges suggests the victim was allegedly assaulted multiple times during the incident. Under North Carolina law, strangulation is considered a serious felony because it can quickly become fatal and is often regarded as a significant indicator of escalating domestic violence.
After learning Jones had fled North Carolina, Burlington detectives worked with state and federal law enforcement partners to locate him. On Monday, July 13, Jones was arrested without incident in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, by officers from the Myrtle Beach Police Department, assisted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Authorities said Jones is currently being held in South Carolina while awaiting extradition to Alamance County, North Carolina, where he will face the charges.
The Burlington Police Department thanked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and Myrtle Beach Police Department for their assistance in locating and apprehending the suspect.
Police have not disclosed a possible motive or the relationship between Jones and the victim, citing the ongoing investigation. Anyone with additional information about the incident is urged to contact the Burlington Police Department.