Mesa police arrest man accused of sexually assaulting woman at light rail stop

PHOENIX — Mesa police arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a light rail platform early Saturday morning, authorities said.

Leon Jones, 39, is being held on a $25,000 bond and faces felony charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse and aggravated assault for the incident that took place around 4 a.m. at the Alma School Road and Main Street light rail stop, the Mesa Police Department said in a press release.

Jones allegedly hit a woman who was standing on the platform from behind and knocked her to the ground, proceeding to hit her in the head and grab her neck until she went unconscious.

When the woman regained consciousness, police said Jones was on top of her and continued to punch her upper body and face.

Jones allegedly told the victim that she would not be able to call the police and proceeded to remove her clothes from the waist up.

He then grabbed her breasts and choked her until a security guard from a nearby business heard the woman screaming and ran to her aid, authorities said.

Jones got up and ran away when the security guard arrived, police said.

Mesa police officers and a K9 with the department found Jones hiding under a box behind some bushes in the area 20 minutes after arriving on the scene.

Jones did not follow commands and was shot with a less-lethal bean bag round before being taken into custody, police said.

The security guard identified Jones as the person he saw assaulting the woman, and the victim told police that she did not know who the man was and had never seen him before.

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