On April 21, 2025, at approximately 7:25 p.m., Tarrant County Sheriff's Deputies responded to an aggravated kidnapping in the 13000 block of Highway 287 & Hwy 81 in Far North Fort Worth, near Avondale. Upon arrival, deputies learned the suspect had assaulted a victim with a baseball bat and attempted to kidnap his son and the child's mother.
When deputies arrived, the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Ronny Leon, had forcibly taken his son and was driving at a high rate of speed with the child in his lap. Patrol deputies attempted to pursue Leon’s vehicle but were unable to catch up. Due to the dangerous nature of the situation, the deputies ceased the pursuit and reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for assistance.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division was notified, and the DPS issued an Athena Alert. Alerts were sent across Texas and as far north as Indiana. Leon remained in contact with the child's mother, who cooperated with investigators to arrange a meeting location to safely apprehend him.
At the agreed-upon location, Leon was taken into custody without incident. He was subsequently booked into the Wise County Jail.
This successful resolution was made possible through the coordination and swift actions of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, DPS, Boyd Police Department, and Rhome Police Department.
