Targeted Attack In Leesburg Sent 2 Victims To The Hospital, Suspect Sought: Police

LEESBURG, VA — A Leesburg man is wanted by police after a pair of assaults in a parking lot on Fort Evans Road NE on Monday evening. In a news release, authorities said the assaults appear to be targeted attacks.

A pair of victims received medical treatment at nearby hospitals for cuts suffered in the assaults, police said on Tuesday. One victim's injuries were considered life-threatening. The police have not provided any details about the identities of the victims.

Police identified one suspect as 18-year-old Marcos Sorto Argueta. The Leesburg Police Department said detectives have identified another person of interest in the case who is a child.

Sorto Argueta is charged with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding. He is still at large and wanted by police.

Photo courtesy of the Leesburg Police Department.

If convicted of both counts, Sorto Argueta could face up to life in prison, based on Virginia's sentencing guidelines.

The assaults occurred around 1o p.m. in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 0 block of Fort Evans Road NE, the police department said in its report.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found one victim with several cuts around his body, according to the police report. The police officers provided first aid before rescue personnel arrived and took the victim to the hospital. Authorities believed the victim's injuries were life-threatening.

A second victim ran away after the attack and went to the Leesburg Police Department to get help. First responders then took him to the hospital to receive treatment for a serious cut on his upper body, police said.

Detectives believe that the people responsible for the assaults left the area before the police officers arrived.

"Through the investigation it has been determined that the assault appears to be a targeted attack," the Leesburg Police Department said in a news release on Tuesday.

Authorities said anyone who sees Sorto Argueta should call 911 and not approach him.

Anyone with more information about the assaults or Sorto Argueta's whereabouts can contact Detective Taylor at 703-771-4500 or at mtaylor1@leesburgva.gov. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Leesburg Crime Line at 703-443-8477.