By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A Mississippi man faces felony charges of kidnapping, robbery and fraudulent possession of credit cards after Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested him in the Cienegas Terrace area of the county.
Arrested was Frank Charles Leone, 54, a resident of Mississippi, according to the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with the offenses of aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping, both first-degree felonies, as well as fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debt card information, a second-degree felony.
In court documents filed in the case, VVSO Deputy Ramiro Barrera reported he was dispatched to the intersection of Fir and Centro streets in the Cienegas Terrace area south of Del Rio at 5:14 p.m. on Feb. 9. Barrera wrote the call was for a motor vehicle accident involving a motorcycle.
Barrera reported while he was en route, he learned from VVSO Communications the caller was located at the La Lomita Snack Shop, in the 100 block of Birch Street.
Barrera wrote he also learned while still en route that a fellow officer, VVSO Deputy Josue Vela had arrived at the scene. Vela radioed that the motorcyclist, later identified as Leone, “had his hand on a weapon and did not want to take his hand off.”
“Upon arrival, (I) observed Deputy Vela negotiating with (Leone). (I) observed Leone pacing back and forth in the middle of the roadway with his left hand on a firearm,” Barrera wrote.
Barrera reported a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper “arrived on scene and took over communications with Leone.”
“After a few minutes of communicating with Leone, he gave himself up and handed his firearm over to another Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who was close by,” Barrera wrote.
The deputy reported after Leone surrendered his weapon, he was checked by an emergency medical services team that had been dispatched to the scene.
While Leone was being checked, Barrera said he spoke with the caller, identified as Ramiro De La Garza and asked De La Garza “to explain what had happened.”
“De La Garza stated he was driving on Centro Street headed northbound when Leone, who was driving southbound on Centro Street, drove his motorcycle out of his lane and crashed into the front of (De La Garza’s) vehicle. De La Garza stated he got out of his vehicle to assist Leone,” Barrera wrote.
Barrera reported De La Garza told him when he approached Leone, Leone took out a firearm and pointed it at him and demanded De La Garza give him money.
De La Garza said Leone then ordered De La Garza to take him to De La Garza’s residence to get the money, but when they arrived at De La Garza’s home, Leone stayed outside “pacing back and forth in his yard.”
De La Garza said he called for law enforcement help while he was inside his home.
Barrera reported he subsequently arrested Leone and charged him with the offenses of aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information.
Bonds totaling $350,000 were set in the cases by Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Antonio “Tony” Faz III.
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