(PUEBLO, Colorado) – The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) announced that a suspect who allegedly stalked a man and threatened him with a machete before barricading himself inside the victim’s home and engaging in a lengthy standoff is now in custody after the PPD SWAT team found the suspect unconscious.
According to PPD, officers responded to a report of a suspect with a machete in the 3400 block of O’Neal Avenue, just west of Lake Minnequa and north of Pueblo Boulevard, shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26.
When officers arrived, they learned that the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Josiah Velasquez, had called the victim the night before and said he needed a place to sleep. The next day, when the victim told Velasquez he had to leave, Velasquez apparently pulled out a machete and began chasing the victim out of the house and down the street while threatening him.
The victim was able to call police after running to the area between O’Neal Avenue and Gladiola Street. According to PPD, Velasquez then barricaded himself inside the victim’s home and began breaking into property and threatening police with large knives.
After a lengthy standoff with the SWAT team and negotiators, search and arrest warrants were issued, and when SWAT team members entered the house, they found Velasquez unconscious inside.
The PPD took Velasquez into custody without further incident and after a medical examination he was taken to the Pueblo County Detention Center.
Velasquez now faces several charges, including aggravated menacing, violating a restraining order and malicious damage to property.
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