'Demon from hell': Dem Muslim Michigan city councilman refuses to resign after arrest for strangulation, domestic violence

A Democrat Michigan city councilor described as a "demon from hell" says he will not resign following his arrest on felony assault and domestic violence charges. Leon El Alamin, 45, has been accused of brutally choking his live-in girlfriend during a July altercation and faces charges including domestic violence and felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder by strangulation, court records show.

El Alamin, a Muslim convert and career criminal who had his record wiped clean by Democrat Gov. Whitmer in 2021, attended his first Flint City Council meeting on Monday since his arrest on July 15. El Alamin, who is required to wear a court-ordered GPS monitor while out on bond, declared that he has no plans to step down despite calls for him to do so. The city council voted 3-2 on Sept. 3 against a resolution that would have voluntarily suspended him through court proceedings.

"I want to assure you I take your feedback seriously," El Alamin said in brief remarks, according to MLive. "I believe it is crucial to allow the legal process to unfold. I may not have been inside the chambers (recently), but I have continued to serve the residents of Ward 1, and I am determined to do so as I continue to finish my term."

"I am dedicated to serving the residents, and I will continue to do so while defending my name," he said.

Residents spoke out against El Alamin's return during Monday's city council meeting, including the alleged victim's mother.

"Leon El Alamin is really a demon from hell," the woman said, according to ABC 12. "A demon, cause you didn't have any business touching her. Until you're off this pedestal, you're going to see my face every time."

Mt. Morris Township police arrested El Alamin on July 15 after a warrant was issued for his arrest. The victim, who is also the mother of his child, reportedly sustained facial lacerations and markings on her neck stemming from the brutal choking. Officers observed the wounds on July 10 when first responding to reports of domestic violence at his residence. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said El Alamin wasn't at the scene when officers initially responded to the 911 call, MLive reported.

Additionally, El Alamin has been accused by activist groups of committing felony residency fraud to run for office in 2024, alleging that he does not live in Ward 1 and used the East Mott Avenue location of a property he rented for his business, the Money, Attitude, Direction, and Education (MADE) Institute, to file his candidacy. The Michigan state department has launched an investigation into the allegations. Records sent to the state include postal mail addressed to El Alamin's home on West Sherman, the same location police responded to the July domestic violence incident, according to the paper.

Voters selected El Alamin to replace the late city council member Eric Mays during a November special election. He is scheduled to appear in court to hear evidence against him in his criminal domestic violence case on Sept. 23.