San Diego

Standoff Suspect Held Child, Exchange Students Inside Spring Valley Home

A 7-year-old boy and two foreign exchange students were caught up in a standoff at a Spring Valley home early Friday, according to San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies.

The confrontation with police happened inside a home near Ramona Avenue and Eucalyptus Street,  north of Jamacha Boulevard and east of State Route 52.

Deputies were called to the home around 9:30 p.m. Thursday when a woman reported she was struck with a stool. The woman suffered cuts to her face before running out of the home and calling 911, deputies said.

Deputies say Francois Konekotto, 30, was moving throughout the home with his 7-year-old son who appeared to be uninjured.

One concern for deputies was that the couple houses two foreign exchange students. The teenagers locked themselves in another room.

Deputies were not sure if Konekotto was armed when they began negotiations.

Just beofre 7 a.m., deputies used less-lethal force against the suspect and took him into custody. Konekotto was injured, deputies said. 

The victim's injuries were considered not life-threatening, deputies said.

Neighbors and friends said Konekotto is retired military and normally a nice guy.

However, they say he began acting strangely over the past couple of days, ranting about the government tapping his phone and monitoring his finances.

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