Man in body armor used assault style rifle to target deputy, SC sheriff says
A South Carolina man who was wearing body armor when he pointed an assault style rifle at a deputy was later arrested following a standoff, according to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.
Isaia Ballesteros, a 35-year-old North Augusta resident, was charged with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person after he barricaded himself inside an Aiken home Sunday night, the sheriff’s office said Monday in a news release.
At about 7:50 p.m. Sunday, a deputy responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at a home in the 1000 block of Scarborough Pass, according to the release. That’s about a mile from the USC Aiken campus.
As the deputy drove by the home a man, later identified as Ballesteros, came outside armed with an assault style rifle and wearing body armor, the sheriff’s office said. As the deputy was driving, Ballesteros pointed the rifle at the deputy, then retreated back inside the home, according to the release.
Deputies established a perimeter around the home while calling for SWAT and negotiators, the sheriff’s office said. After successful negotiations, Ballesteros exited the home and was taken into custody without incident, according to the release.
Information about how long Ballesteros was barricaded inside the home was not available.
No injuries were reported from the standoff. Information about anyone possibly getting hurt during the domestic disturbance was not available.
Ballesteros was booked into the Aiken County Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said. No bond has been set for Ballesteros, who remains locked up, jail records show. He’s scheduled to appear in court again on June 26, according to Aiken County judicial records.
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Man in body armor used assault style rifle to target deputy, SC sheriff says."
