Although the Statesman fails to point out that Angie's husband was an illegal alien, it was stated that he was when this happened 5 years ago, and here's what the Federal Agent had to say:

According to Boise-based federal agent J. Kent Nygaard, the murder of Angie Leon is a crime that never should have happened. He wrote to immigration officials in February 2002, warning them that America 's permissive policies in dealing with criminal aliens were putting citizens' lives at risk. He noted these details about the killing of Angie Leon by her estranged husband: "Mr. Leon was convicted on March 18, 2002, in the District Court in Canyon County for possession of a controlled substance, making him an aggravated felon under INS laws calling for mandatory detention and institution of deportation proceedings. Those deportation proceedings were never instituted even though INS was aware of the case." Angie Leon was shot to death May 19, 2003, in her Nampa, Idaho, apartment while her three young children and her mother, Sylvia Flores, called 911 from a car in front of the residence.

http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/te ... ctims.html

Victim Angie Leon is not forgotten

In 2003, Abel Leon walked out of jail and killed his wife. Now, Angie Leon's kids have a new name, domestic violence victims have a new shelter, and a new prosecutor has plans for change.

Sylvia Flores spends time with two of her grandchildren, Alej, 9, and A.J., 10, at their home in Nampa. They call her Mom. She has been raising them for five years, since their mother, Angie Leon, was killed by their father.

Six-year-old Byanka looks with limitless energy for her next game at her grandmother's office picnic in Nampa. Byanka and her two siblings jumped on every inflatable ride they could get on.

Sylvia Flores checks for peanut butter on A.J.'s face in the kitchen of their home in Nampa. A.J. is the oldest of the three grandkids Flores is raising. "I'm raising the kids the way Angie would want," she said. "Angie really did a great job with them."

GOLF TOURNEY RAISES FUNDS IN LEON'S MEMORY
"Swing for Hope," a fund-raising golf tournament in Angie Leon's memory, is set for July 25 at Eagle Hills Golf Course. This is the fourth year for the event, which raised $10,000 last year for the Hope's Door family violence shelter. This year, organizers hope to raise $20,000 through sponsorships, a silent auction and participation fees. The cost to participate is $70, including dinner, spokesman Jason Cameron said.

To register or for more information, contact Cameron at 459-6279 or jcameron@hopesdoor.

What happened
After Abel Leon was released from jail on April 23, 2003, his estranged wife, Angie, lived in fear, said Angie's mother, Sylvia Flores.

"I asked her to come stay with us, and she said, 'That's the first place he'll look."

Angie Leon and the couple's three small children moved to an apartment near Northwest Nazarene University. Mother and daughter still drove to work at Treasure Valley Hospital together every day, but Flores took a different route to Angie's each day to keep Abel Leon from following her. Here's her account of Angie Leon's final morning, May 19, 2003.

Flores felt "very antsy a little sick to my stomach" when she pulled up at the Nampa apartment complex. Angie, 21, looked pale and afraid when she opened the door. The baby was in her car seat; the two older children "were right there, practically wrapped around her legs." Flores stepped inside, saw Abel and asked him what he was doing there.

"Mom, let's just go. Let's just go," Angie Leon said.

"Ang, Ang, I need to talk to you," her husband said.

The women hurried down to Flores' car, rushing to get the children secured.

Abel Leon ran to the car and grabbed Angie as she was getting in. When Flores started around the car to help her daughter, he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at her.

Then he put the gun to his wife's head and dragged her back into her apartment, his hand gripping her hair. Flores pleaded with him not to hurt her.

"The kids were screaming, 'Mommy, Mommy.' He (Abel) said, 'All I need is 10 minutes' and signaled at me not to phone.

"Angie said, 'Mom, go. Go, take the kids'."

"She just kept saying 'Mom, Mom' That's something I'll have to live with the rest of my life."

Flores was terrified, angry and unsure what she should do. She picked up her cell phone to dial 911, holding it low so Abel could not see it if he looked out the window.

Flores moved the car a short distance, to the entrance of the apartment complex. The kids calmed down a little.

"Mommy said you're going to take care of us now," 5-year-old A.J. said.

At that moment, police arrived. They used Flores' key to enter the apartment and found Angie Leon on her daughter's bed with three close-range gunshot wounds -- one to the chest and two to the head. Abel Leon had fled.

"I didn't hear the gunshots. The kids said they heard them, but I was talking to the dispatcher.

"I'll never forget his face. I'll never forget his words."

Kristin Rodine

Prosecutor-elect promises changes
Canyon County prosecutors' handling of the Abel and Angie Leon case was a prime issue in a citizens task force investigation, a lawsuit and, most recently, the Republican primary election for the prosecutor's job.

John Bujak, who defeated incumbent Dave Young and doesn't have an opponent in the November election, said the issue came up numerous times on the campaign trail, particularly in terms of promised changes in handling domestic violence cases.

"There's nothing significantly different in the way cases are being handled now," Bujak said.

Young could not be reached for comment.

Despite several domestic violence charges and 25 violations of no-contact orders, a deputy prosecutor agreed to release Abel Leon from jail while he awaited sentencing. Leon tracked down his wife a few weeks later and killed her.

Angie Leon's mother, Sylvia Flores, and task force leader Teri Ottens said they believe Bujak will come through with needed changes after he takes office in January. Both said they'll be keeping a close eye to make sure.

The fault for what happened to Angie Leon lies not with the individual handling the case, but with the system, said Bujak, a criminal defense lawyer and former deputy prosecutor. He said he plans to take the following steps quickly:

Establish a specialized domestic violence unit with training, expertise and direct contact with victims. Bujak envisions several units in the prosecutor's office that will readily consult with police on cases falling within their expertise.

Give victims direct access to prosecutors. Now, he said, prosecutors rely too heavily on victim/witness coordinators, which can make victims feel ignored by the prosecutor and more likely to back out. Personal contact also gives prosecutors a better feel for the case than "cold facts on a page" do.

Create an effective system for "victimless prosecutions" so that case groundwork is solid enough that it can proceed even if the complaining witness backs out.

Aggressively prosecute violations of no-contact orders. According to the task force investigation, Abel Leon violated civil protection orders 25 times but was prosecuted for only three.

Put complete criminal histories in the file for every domestic violence case.

Bujak said having training programs and good policies in place is essential, but he also will push his deputies to be vigilant and alert in each prosecution.

"Don't get lulled into just following the pattern," he said.

Kristin Rodine
BY KRISTIN RODINE - krodine@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 07/08/08


Three raven-haired children jostle and giggle as their grandmother shows off their baby scrapbook.

"That's me!" exclaims 10-year-old A.J.

"That one's me," says Alej, 9.

"I'm too cute," observes Byanka, the youngest.

Clambering half onto her grandmother's lap, the 6-year-old points at the serious-looking man standing next to her mother in one photo.

"Who's that?"

"I'll tell you later," Sylvia Flores says, adding softly for a visitor, "She doesn't know."

"Who's that? Who's that? Who's that?"

"That's Abel."

The questions stop. The little girl may not know the face, but she definitely recognizes the name.

Byanka was only a year old when her father, Abel Leon, dragged her mother away from the screaming children and into her Nampa apartment while Flores pleaded for her daughter's life. Moments later, three gunshots rang out.

Angie Leon, then 21, has been dead for five years. Abel Leon is serving a life sentence for her murder, with no chance for parole. And Sylvia Flores, an empty-nester in 2003, is raising Angie's children.

Angie Leon's death on May 19, 2003, devastated her close-knit family, but it also sent lasting ripples through the community and beyond.

People weren't just touched by the terror of her last moments; they were moved to action by the pattern of errors and the system's apparent indifference that contributed to the tragedy. Despite numerous domestic violence charges and 25 violations of no-contact orders, a deputy county prosecutor had agreed to release Abel Leon (pronounced lee-OHN) from jail while he awaited sentencing for his latest crime. Angie Leon tried to keep her new apartment secret, but within a few weeks he had tracked her down.

Her case sparked outrage about domestic violence and inspired a new family violence group and shelter. A citizens task force studied what had gone wrong in Angie's case and what could be done to help prevent similar horrors. Some people close to the case campaigned against longtime Canyon County Prosecutor Dave Young and celebrated when he lost by a landslide in this May's primary.

Angie Leon, who in life hated being the center of attention, has become a household name in death.

"People I don't even know actually remember that day and where they were when they heard," Flores said


There's a comment section at this link below. I think it was an illegal alien who I told off at the end of the comments.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/273/story/436088.html