An October review of Texas law enforcement reporting identified 44 matters involving alleged or confirmed misconduct, including 14 arrests during the month and at least seven newly filed professional standards complaints.
The cases range from a Border Patrol agent charged with killing his wife to officers disciplined for dismissing a racial profiling complaint, failing to investigate calls for help and misusing surveillance technology.
In Williamson County, newly obtained records prompted seven additional complaints alleging dishonesty, disparaging internal communications, possible misuse of driver’s-license information and failures in the sheriff’s office’s internal affairs process. Those seven complaints were verified through sent correspondence; they are not a statewide total.
The review covers incidents and disciplinary matters reported or substantially updated Oct. 1-31. Some underlying events occurred earlier and became the subject of October reporting through records disclosures, lawsuits or court decisions. Related complaints arising from the same episode are grouped together. The count is not a complete statewide census, and criminal charges and civil allegations do not establish guilt.
Arrests involving violence, sexual misconduct and dishonesty
In Laredo, off-duty Border Patrol agent Abel Garza, 30, was arrested Oct. 28 and charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of his wife, Mayra Alejandra Landeros, 28. Police also charged Garza with four counts related to abandoning or endangering children. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed his employment and said its Office of Professional Responsibility was reviewing the incident.
In Harris County, Deputy Alexander Kristopher Cowley was arrested after a warrant was signed Oct. 28 on a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Court records described alleged abuse from 2016 through 2024. A judge set his bond at $500,000, and the sheriff’s office said he was on administrative duty pending criminal proceedings.
Former Harris County Deputy Dohnya Dozier was arrested Oct. 1 on charges of attempted sexual assault and official oppression. Investigators alleged he used his position to pursue sexual encounters with women he met while in uniform. Separate personnel records reported by ABC13 on Oct. 30 described another woman’s allegation that Dozier sexually assaulted her while responding to a call for help. His arrest and subsequent records disclosure are counted as one matter.
Williamson County detectives arrested patrol Deputy Phillip Anelli, 47, on Oct. 21 in connection with an alleged off-duty family violence assault. The sheriff’s office placed Anelli, a six-year employee, on administrative leave. Authorities did not release details of the alleged assault in their initial announcement.
San Antonio Officer Mark Castillo, a 25-year department veteran, was arrested Oct. 16 on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge stemming from a September parking dispute. According to an arrest affidavit, Castillo fired toward a DoorDash driver’s vehicle at the Shops at La Cantera, shattering its rear window. Castillo told investigators he displayed his weapon but punched out the window, according to KSAT. Police placed him on administrative duty.
Dallas police arrested Senior Cpl. Christopher Grall on Oct. 8 on a felony solicitation of prostitution charge. Grall, who joined the department in 1990 and worked in its Training Division, was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Another Dallas officer, Troy Allison, surrendered Oct. 8 on an official oppression charge. An affidavit alleged Allison grabbed a handcuffed suspect’s neck and hair while positioning him for a photograph, causing pain and difficulty breathing, and repeatedly struck the suspect’s head. The department placed Allison on administrative leave.
Bonham Officer Curtis Humphreys was placed on administrative leave after Grapevine police arrested him on allegations of driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon. Bonham officials said they learned of the arrest late Oct. 4 and immediately opened an internal affairs investigation.
Former Franklin Officer John Key was booked Oct. 15 on seven counts of tampering with a governmental record involving fraud or harm. His arrest came amid a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement investigation involving the department. Authorities had not publicly detailed the underlying allegations.
Former Commerce and DeKalb Officer William Adam Rhodes Jr. was booked into the Hunt County jail Oct. 1 on a perjury charge. Commerce had fired Rhodes in November 2025 after investigating discrepancies in his employment paperwork and referred the matter for criminal investigation, according to city statements and jail records reviewed by The Hawk’s Eye.
Two unrelated arrests ended the employment of Bexar County deputies on Oct. 4. Damien Trevino, 25, was arrested on a DWI allegation, while Damian Villegas, 19, was arrested on a reckless driving allegation. Both resigned in lieu of termination, the sheriff’s office said.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer Charlene Victoria Hendricks, 24, was arrested Oct. 16 on suspicion of DWI and subsequently resigned. A blood draw warrant described a witness recording her asleep behind the wheel and an officer observing signs of intoxication.
Bexar County Deputy Fire Marshal Brett Shannon Boswell was suspended after San Antonio police arrested him overnight Oct. 23 on an allegation of DWI with an open container. The fire marshal’s office said both criminal and administrative investigations would proceed.
Other October reports involved criminal cases in which arrests occurred earlier or an indictment did not establish that an officer had been arrested during the month.
Former Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Lt. Eric Lister was accused of stealing more than $2,500 from the constable’s office and creating warnings for traffic stops he never made. ABC13 reported the felony theft and tampering indictments Oct. 21. Lister had been arrested Sept. 29, and his employment ended the following day.
A Harris County grand jury indicted Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer Mario Alberto Morales on an aggravated assault charge after his vehicle struck Miguel Parra Hernandez during an Oct. 10 encounter in Houston. Authorities released video and 911 recordings Oct. 30. ICE denied that agents intentionally struck Parra Hernandez and disputed the local investigation.
Surveillance abuse and missing oversight
In Lufkin, October reporting revealed the scale of former Officer Zachary Anthony Klein’s misuse of police databases. Angelina County District Attorney Amy Wren said investigators identified more than 25,000 improper Flock license plate searches involving information about 17 people. Klein pleaded guilty to 100 felony counts and received a five-year prison sentence Sept. 30; the expanded findings were reported Oct. 2.
In Katy, records reported Oct. 15 showed the department had no documentation of audits of former Officer Sergio Guadalupe Rodriguez’s Flock searches before his ex-wife complained that he was tracking her. Rodriguez faces stalking and misuse of official information charges and has pleaded not guilty. Katy police said his alleged misuse was discovered after her complaint prompted a detailed audit.
Brenham police fired Officer Gabriel Duran on Oct. 16 after an internal investigation found multiple violations of the department’s license plate reader policy. The Texas Rangers were conducting a separate criminal investigation. Chief Gary Boshears clarified that Brenham uses Motorola’s Vigilant system, rather than Flock.
Force during mental health emergencies and a fatal rescue
Beeville police fired Patrolman Tyler Saenz after investigators found he used a Taser on Roman Poynter, 20, while Poynter was descending a rescue ladder. The resulting fall caused four spinal fractures, according to disciplinary records reported Oct. 9. Investigators concluded Poynter was not threatening responders and that Saenz fired despite a warning about the danger of using the weapon while Poynter remained above the ground.
A lawsuit announced in October accused Temple Cpl. Timothy J. Lawrence and Officer William Nasser of excessive force during the 2024 death of Billy Michael Purdue Gordon. His estate alleges Lawrence activated a Taser a fourth time after Gordon was face down, partially handcuffed and motionless, and that Nasser failed to intervene. Temple’s original account said Gordon continued resisting before the final activation.
In a separate Houston case, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld federal liability Oct. 21 for FBI Agent Gavin Lappe’s fatal shooting of kidnapping victim Ulises Valladares during a 2018 rescue attempt. Agent Jeffrey Hawkins participated in the window-breaching operation. The court upheld findings that Valladares was bound, blindfolded and unarmed and that Lappe fired without knowing whom he was shooting or facing a threat. The government had challenged the trial court’s findings.
Seven new complaints in Williamson County
In Williamson County, October developments extended beyond the sheriff’s office’s disposition of earlier complaints concerning publisher David Flash’s May 23 detention in Block House Creek.
The encounter involved Deputies Ryan Little and Bryson Mora, Field Training Officer Pedroza and Deputy Mowser, according to earlier reporting. Flash maintained that deputies did not identify a specific crime they suspected him of committing. The encounter ended without an arrest or citation. The available reporting did not establish full names for Pedroza or Mowser.
After obtaining additional county records, Flash submitted seven new complaints Oct. 23 and Oct. 29-30. They address alleged inaccuracies in official accounts, internal text messages, possible misuse of driver’s-license information and the handling of the original investigations.
An Oct. 30 complaint challenges Little’s written incident narrative. Flash alleges the account contained material misrepresentations and omissions, including descriptions of him as potentially experiencing a “manic episode,” disputed statements attributed to another individual and an account suggesting he left with that person. Flash maintains those descriptions were inaccurate and requested comparison with the recordings.
A separate complaint submitted Oct. 29 cites county-produced text messages attributed to Little, including: “Apparently homie runs these pages, is calling IA on all of us.” Flash alleged the communications disparaged his journalism and complaint activity.
Another Oct. 29 complaint names Deputy Jacqueline L. Sirkis, citing a county-produced text describing Flash as “ridiculous.” Flash requested investigation into the communication’s context and whether county equipment was used. The complaint acknowledges that production of a message through a public information request does not, by itself, establish that it was sent from a county-owned device.
The records also prompted an Oct. 30 complaint requesting investigation of possible unauthorized access to or disclosure of Flash’s driver’s-license information. An unidentified participant in a text exchange wrote, “Forgot to tell you but I found his 27 and he has…” The remainder was redacted. Little replied, “Shocker lol,” according to the complaint.
Flash requested identification of the other participant and examination of database audit records to determine what information was obtained, when it was accessed and whether the access or disclosure served an authorized purpose. The complaint expressly acknowledges that the exchange alone does not establish an unauthorized search or a crime.
Flash also filed a new truthfulness complaint against Sgt. Brandon Jennings concerning a June 30 email to command personnel. He alleges Jennings materially misrepresented their recorded telephone conversation by describing his repeated requests for the sheriff’s contact information as a “question-and-answer game.” The complaint concerns the subsequently obtained command email, separately from an earlier complaint about the telephone conversation itself.
Two complaints submitted Oct. 23 address the agency’s accountability process. One names Lt. Michael Klier and Sgt. Gil Unger, alleging deficiencies in their investigation and supervision of the original complaints, including delays, inadequate witness interviews and evidence review. The other challenges incorrect published complaint-filing instructions, the apparent failure to route submissions to internal affairs and additional filing requirements.
The sheriff’s office’s Oct. 20 dispositions concerned the earlier complaints: the detention complaint was classified as exonerated, and two others were classified as unfounded. Those findings do not resolve the separate allegations subsequently submitted using newly obtained records. The additional complaints request investigation and are not findings of misconduct.
Granger arrest raises questions about escalation
A separate Williamson County matter involved a Navy veteran arrested June 14 in Granger. His family said he was experiencing significant mental distress at the time.
The circumstances may have included a pedestrian violation involving which side of the roadway he was walking on, potentially providing a basis for initial police contact. The dispute concerns the encounter’s escalation and the resulting charges, rather than an established finding that deputies lacked any reason to approach him.
The account also included an allegation that the man had been barred from Dollar General and returned to the store. However, the released records did not list a criminal trespass charge.
Instead, the records listed resisting arrest, harassment of a public servant and failure to identify by providing false or fictitious information—allegations arising during the encounter. Charging documents identified Deputy A. Nira as involved.
The family disputes the deputies’ handling of the contact. October reporting described the county’s effort to withhold additional recordings because criminal proceedings remained pending, leaving important details about the escalation unavailable for independent review. The charges remain allegations.
Treatment of residents and accuracy of official records
In San Antonio, records reported Oct. 30 showed Officer Mark A. Gonzales received a five-day unpaid suspension after dismissing a driver’s racial profiling accusation, failing to collect required stop data and delaying notification to a supervisor. The disciplinary order quoted Gonzales telling the driver to “stop with that nonsense” and “you’re embarrassing yourself.” The findings concerned his response and documentation; they did not establish that the stop itself constituted racial profiling.
Mission Sgt. Alexandria Leal received a two-day unpaid suspension for Facebook posts ridiculing two women who spoke at a City Council meeting, according to records reported Oct. 7. An internal review found Leal authored the posts, and Chief Cesar Torres concluded her remarks discredited her and the department.
Another Mission case involved former Officer Javier Lara Jr., whom the department fired after concluding he omitted evidence from a criminal investigation and gave false or misleading statements about a document. October reporting detailed the records and Lara’s response. Through his attorney, Lara denied misconduct and challenged the city’s interpretation of interviews and the fairness of its investigation.
Missed interviews, unanswered calls and school-threat failures
Hays County Deputy Emannuel Lindesay received a 12-hour unpaid suspension after failing to interview a woman who reported a family violence assault or the children present, according to disciplinary records reported Oct. 11. The district attorney declined the underlying assault case.
Texas Parks and Wildlife fired park police Officer Eric P. Anderson after repeated body-camera and reporting violations continued despite earlier discipline. Records reported Oct. 8 described improperly handled recordings, overdue patrol narratives and a theft report that remained unentered more than five weeks after a supervisor directed Anderson to submit it.
North East Independent School District records reported Oct. 19 detailed discipline involving five officers over delayed handling of a potential threat to Serna Elementary School. Sgts. Moses Suarez and Reyes Bermea were fired. Sgt. George Teniente, Detective Leticia Sanchez and Officer Michael Luna received reprimands and three-day unpaid suspensions. The records described missed communications and failures to ensure threat information reached the appropriate personnel. The related actions are counted as one school-threat matter.
San Antonio Officer Danyelle R. Polendo received a 45-day unpaid suspension after the department found she failed to investigate possible DWI following a crash and directed a probationary officer to drive the vehicle to the driver’s home. The agreement, reported Oct. 29, also cited missing reports and concerns about the vehicle’s safety.
Other San Antonio records reported Oct. 29 described a three-day suspension for Officer Karim Mahzoon for clearing two 911 hang-up calls without responding to either location, and a 25-day suspension for Officer Ricardo Carrera Pineyro after pursuing a construction vehicle under police escort and pointing his gun toward its driver.
Jail force, dishonesty and professional boundaries
Bexar County Cpl. Joseph Martinez received a negotiated 30-day unpaid suspension after investigators concluded he used a Taser unnecessarily and submitted a dishonest report. Martinez described an inmate advancing aggressively; investigators said body-camera footage instead showed the inmate against a wall holding a cup. The agency initially proposed dismissal.
Bexar County detention Deputy John Martinez Jr. received a five-day unpaid suspension, reduced from 15 days, after being found lying on a couch with his eyes closed and his duty belt on the floor during a hospital assignment. The findings concerned alertness and performance of duties, according to records reported Oct. 9.
Bexar County Investigator Lisa Castellano received a two-day unpaid suspension, reduced from five days, after the department found she failed to secure county equipment stolen from her take-home vehicle. The property included a laptop, ballistic helmet and vest.
Hays County corrections officer Grace A. Padilla received a 16-hour unpaid suspension for accepting inmate letters and drawings and displaying items at home. Investigators found professional boundary violations but no evidence she solicited gifts, exchanged confidential information, provided special privileges or received a financial benefit.
Hays County fired corrections officer Virgil Burkhart after he obtained an autograph from an incarcerated former NFL player and supervisors concluded his written explanation was misleading. October reporting detailed the inmate-contact and dishonesty findings, along with disagreement among supervisors about whether dismissal or a suspension was appropriate.
Off-duty conduct and use of public resources
DPS Trooper Juan Roberto Espinosa received a 15-day unpaid suspension after admitting he assaulted a man while intoxicated during an off-duty confrontation in Edinburg, according to records reported Oct. 6. DPS sustained assault and criminal mischief allegations stemming from the October 2025 incident.
An Oct. 30 report detailed George West Sgt. Mari Gonzales’s firing after drinking while on call, along with firearm safety concerns, her appeal and an attorney general disclosure order concerning the records.
An Oct. 31 report examined former officer Alex Villalobos’s return to electoral politics after TCOLE approved a 35-day license suspension over false statements on law enforcement applications. The suspension was approved in September; the October report connected the licensing action with his newly announced Kyle City Council campaign.
DPS confirmed in October that Trooper Fernando Daniel Gomez remained suspended following his Aug. 30 DWI arrest in New Braunfels. No resulting criminal case had been filed as of Oct. 25, according to the report. His earlier arrest is excluded from the review’s 14 October arrests.
Caldwell County Constable Michael Bell faced county review after an auditor concluded his use of a county vehicle for traffic control at a Texas State football game violated policy. Bell said he volunteered without pay and believed he was fulfilling his elected responsibilities. The auditor reported no finding of compensation or personal financial gain, and the district attorney viewed the matter as an apparent policy violation rather than a criminal offense.
The review’s civilian police employee case involved Dallas media relations official Allison Hudson, who was placed on administrative leave Oct. 29 during a criminal investigation into her use of a department vehicle. A complaint alleged she used emergency lights and a siren without authorization. Chief Daniel Comeaux disputed allegations that her position influenced the investigation. Hudson had not been reported charged in the cited coverage.
The 44-matter count treats repeated coverage of the same case as one entry and groups related complaints concerning the Block House Creek encounter and its aftermath. It distinguishes arrests during October from earlier arrests discussed in new reporting, and separates accusations from sustained disciplinary findings, guilty pleas and court decisions.
