Senior Officer Vicente Ortiz Jr. served with the Corpus Christi Police Department for 15 years. Vicente began his career in 2009 as a cadet in the 68th Police Academy. Immediately following graduation, he served in the Uniform Division as a patrol officer. In 2014, Vicente received the Life Saving Ribbon for saving his father’s life. His father collapsed due to having a heart attack, and Vicente immediately began CPR, which doctor’s credited Vicente’s immediate actions to saving his life. Later in 2014, Vicente was promoted to the rank of Senior Officer. In 2015, Vicente was commended by an employee of the Alabama Bureau of Investigations for his professionalism on duty. Vicente was awarded his second Life Saving Ribbon in 2016. Vicente saved the life of a person in crisis who was actively attempting to commit suicide. In 2017, Vicente received a Letter of Recognition for his proactive work of taking three firearms off the street in a matter of weeks. It was during this same time, he was chosen to be a Field Training Officer (FTO). Field Training Officers train and mentor recruit officers, and act as supervisors, counselors, supporters, and role models. Officers, throughout their career, will often return to their former FTO’s for guidance and support throughout their career. In 2018, Vicente was transferred to the Traffic Division and initially worked in a traffic car. Vicente then completed the rigorous two-week motorcycle certification course through Northwestern Center for Public Safety. He then served in the Motor Unit in the Traffic Division. In 2022, he was commended by the United States Secret Service for his contributions to a major operation involving former President Donald Trump. Vicente was loved and respected by everyone at the Corpus Christi Police Department and will be dearly missed.

In regard to the ongoing investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Texas A&M Corpus Christi student Caleb Harris, Detectives with the Corpus Christi Police Department are aware of some recent activity on Harris’s cell phone that has caught the attention of concerned individuals following this case online and through social media.  Although this activity may give the impression that Caleb has re-activated his cell phone, Detectives are supremely confident that this is not the case, but instead it is simply the result of one of many investigative techniques currently being employed by the Forensic Computer Examiners.  Corpus Christi Police Department Detectives, along with their state and federal partners, continue to aggressively investigate Caleb’s disappearance.    

If you have information regarding the disappearance of Caleb Harris, please contact the Corpus Christi Police Department at (361) 826-2840 or you can submit an anonymous tip at Crime Stoppers 888-TIPS (888-8477).  The tipline number set up by the Harris family is (361) 826-2950.  

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at approximately noon, the Corpus Christi Police Department was made aware of a possible threat at the location of 754 Flato Road (West Oso High School).  

Corpus Christi Police Department officers arrived to the school and immediately started an investigation.  Their investigation found that there was never a threat to the school. The school was initially placed on locked down while officers conducted their investigation, and the lockdown has since been lifted.

The Corpus Christi Police Department takes any and all threats seriously.  If you have any information, please call the Corpus Christi Police Department at 361-886-2600.  If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (361)888-TIPS (8477) or submit the information online at https://www.p3tips.com/TipForm.aspx?ID=343&C=&T=

POLICE DEPARTMENT’S RESPONSE TO LOCAL SCHOOL THREATS – UPDATE

On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 11:48am, the Corpus Christi Independent School District’s Police Department has arrested a 14-year-old juvenile female for terroristic threats. The juvenile has been transported to the Nueces County Juvenile Justice Center for booking.

ORIGINAL POST:
This morning, the Corpus Christi Police Department was notified by a concerned citizen of a social media post that appeared to make threats of violence toward the students and staff at local schools.

We are aware of the threats and CCISD is actively investigating. As of this time, there is no credible threat to the schools.

The safety and security of our citizens is our highest priority, and we take all threats made toward our campuses, students, and staff seriously.

If you have any information about these threats, you are urged to contact the CCISD Police Department at 361-886-9275. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (361)888-TIPS (8477) or submit the information online at https://www.p3tips.com/TipForm.aspx?ID=343&C=&T=

Yolanda Balli is originally from Corpus Christi and began her career with the Corpus Christi Police Department in November of 2006 in the Records Department.

In 2007, Yolanda transferred to the District Attorney’s Office where she spent the next six years as the witness coordinator. There, she assisted in notifying officers and civilians of court appearances.

In 2013, an opening for Sex Offender Registrar opened and Yolanda jumped on the opportunity to move to the Criminal Investigations Division and begin a new challenge. The Sex Offender Unit manages around 1,400 offenders in the City of Corpus Christi. Each October, Yolanda is responsible for sending out lists to the patrol districts for the yearly sex offender checks. She also goes on offender checks to make sure sex offenders are where they are supposed to be.

In her 17 years as a civilian employee, Yolanda has had the opportunity to work with many agencies, such as Homeland Security, FBI, US Marshalls and Texas Rangers. She has worked hard to establish a good working relationship with the probation and parole departments.

In May of 2019, Yolanda received the National Certificate of Recognition by Offenderwatch for the work she does with sex offenders.

Yolanda has worked closely with the Gang Unit as well as the Directed Patrol Officers. In 2022, Yolanda fell extremely ill. She stated, “It was then that I found out what the true meaning of a Blue Family was. When I was at my lowest, my Blue Family stepped in with help that I could have never imagined. I will always be so incredibly grateful to everyone.”

You are invited to attend the Corpus Christi Police Department Practice Physical Assessment Test (PAT) on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 7:00 a.m. for our upcoming CCPD 84th Police Academy projected to begin July 2024. It’s a great way to gauge your strengths and know what you need to work on to move forward in this process.

The practice test will take place at the main police station (321 John Sartain, Corpus Christi, TX 78401). Applicants will meet us at the gated entrance directly across from Whataburger on the Bay (Water St. side of the building). Check-in time will be between 7:00 am – 7:15 am, so we can start promptly at 7:30 am.

On Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at approximately 2pm, the Corpus Christi Police Department received information from the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office and the PINS Park Rangers that they located a deceased male at the Padre Island National Seashore.

CCPD has confirmed with Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office and PINS Park Rangers that the deceased male subject is not Caleb Harris and is not associated with the disappearance of Caleb Harris. There is no foul play suspected.

If you have information regarding the disappearance of Caleb Harris, please contact the Corpus Christi Police Department at (361) 826-2840 or you can submit an anonymous tip at Crime Stoppers (361) 888-TIPS (888-8477). The tipline number set up by the Harris family is (361) 826-2950.

March 28, 2024

As the search entered its third week, Corpus Christi Police Department Detectives, along with their federal and state partners, continue to work fervently behind the scenes to solve the disappearance of 21-year-old Texas A&M Corpus Christi student Caleb Harris.

After having interviewed Harris’s roommates, friends, and family, as well as having reviewed hours of surveillance camera footage, Detectives have established a timeline for the night Harris disappeared. Detectives have learned that Harris spent the evening hours of Sunday March 3rd inside his off-campus apartment on the 1900 block of Ennis Joslin Road, along with his two roommates and a mutual friend. Harris and his friend played video games online for over an hour with another former high school classmate currently residing in Colorado. At approximately 12:56 am on Monday, March 4th, a doorbell camera at a nearby apartment captures Harris, his friend, and one of Harris’s roommates in the parking lot playing with a puppy belonging to the girlfriend of one of Harris’s roommates. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, and the three young men returned to Harris’s apartment. Their mutual friend departed shortly thereafter. At approximately 2:20 am, the second of Harris’s two roommates informs Harris that he (the roommate) is going to bed. Harris replies that he is going to stay up to order snacks via UberEats for his school lunch later that day (Monday). At approximately 2:44 AM, Harris shares a Snapchat video with his younger sister that depicts Harris walking the puppy through what appears to be the apartment complex parking lot. At approximately 3:03 AM, Harris sent another SnapChat photo to a high school friend currently residing in San Antonio. The photo depicted a small bridge over a drainage ditch on the 1900 block of Ennis Joslin, within a few hundred feet of the entrance to his apartment complex. At approximately 3:12 AM Harris’s cell phone last shared location data with the nearest cell phone tower. At approximately 3:20 am, the UberEats driver delivers Harris’s order to his apartment, leaving it outside near the front door per the order request. This is currently the best timeline investigators have been able to compile working with the existing available data, but this is an evolving investigation and is subject to change as more data and information is acquired.

At around 11:00 am Monday morning, one of Caleb’s roommates discovered the UberEats order outside the front door, and Harris’s pickup truck parked in front of the apartment; Caleb’s wallet and keys were left behind in the apartment and all that appeared to be missing was Harris and his cell phone. Caleb’s roommates, who described him as a homebody and a creature of habit, immediately became alarmed by Caleb’s absence. After searching for Caleb by themselves for a short time, the roommates called the CCPD to report Harris missing.

The initial responding officer, after having obtained the information from the roommates, immediately checked all local hospitals for any unidentified patients matching Caleb’s description. None were found. A preliminary search of the apartment complex and the immediate area surrounding it revealed no signs of a struggle or violence, nor any indicia of a hit and run accident on the roads nearby. The officer then ensured that Harris was entered into the national computer database as a missing person. Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division were then called to the scene, while an intensive and large-scale search of the surrounding area was organized and conducted.

Detectives searched Caleb’s apartment and found no evidence of a struggle, violent act, or any signs that the apartment had been recently deep cleaned. Firearms and fishing gear, including waders, that belonged to Caleb were found in the apartment. A laptop belonging to Caleb was collected and has been turned over to Forensic Computer Examiners within CCPD’s Organized Crime Unit for examination and analysis.

Caleb’s roommates, friends and family members have been extremely cooperative with investigators since the onset of this investigation. Detectives, through a variety of investigative techniques, have completely excluded them as having anything to do with Caleb’s disappearance. Detectives have also identified and interviewed the UberEats driver who delivered Caleb’s order that evening. The 31-year-old woman told Detectives that she was driving alone that night and did not see Caleb or anyone else at or near the apartment complex. Detectives confirmed that she was alone by reviewing surveillance video from the convenience store where she picked up Caleb’s order. She also has been eliminated as a suspect in Harris’s disappearance.

Investigators have scoured the surrounding area of Caleb’s last known location for surveillance video, checking well over fifty businesses and private residences. Thus far, investigators have retrieved video from twenty-seven different locations, including city owned traffic cameras, but continue to search for additional sources. Detectives have written 16 search electronic search warrants, submitted over 70 preservation requests, and issued 14 subpoenas for electronic data related to this investigation. Forensic Computer Examiners have already reviewed over 600 GB of electronic data and continue to pour over data as it arrives on an almost daily basis.

The investigative team, formed during the first days of the search, continues to meet daily to share information from the previous day’s efforts, discuss possible leads, and plot the course of the investigation. The team consists of Investigators from the Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division and Organized Crime Unit, the FBI, the Texas Rangers, and the United States Marshals Service, along with three Forensic Computer Examiners, and one civilian crime analyst. Detectives have reviewed, and followed up where appropriate, on fourteen Crime Stoppers tips, 31 tipline tips, and several others from various sources.

If you have information regarding the disappearance of Caleb Harris, please contact the Corpus Christi Police Department at (361) 826-2840 or you can submit an anonymous tip at Crime Stoppers 888-TIPS (888-8477). The tipline number set up by the Harris family is (361) 826-2950.

Lieutenant Kody Harrison was born in Eugene, Oregon and moved to South Texas in 1997. He began his career with the Corpus Christi Police Department on January 10, 2000.

During his 24-year career, Lieutenant Harrison has served in several capacities. After completing the academy and field training program, Lieutenant Harrison served as a patrol officer and was promoted to senior officer in 2003. Lieutenant Harrison spent three years as a Gang Investigator, three years on the FBI Task Force, five years as a NVID Investigator, five years on the DEA Clandestine Lab Mobile Enforcement Team, four years as a DEA Task Force Officer and three years on the NVID felony booking desk. For much of his time as a senior officer, Lieutenant was undercover (12 years) and during four of those years spent with the DEA, he recovered over $1,000,000 a year in cash and assets every year. Lieutenant Harrison was also a board member for the Counter Terrorism Information Group in 2001, and it 2009, he was the National Vice President of the Vice Investigators Association. Lieutenant Harrison also served as a CCPD Academy Instructor for 13 years.

On March 3, 2019, Lieutenant Harrison was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and currently serves as the Crime Reduction Unit Supervisor as well as the CCPD Safety Officer. He has obtained the TCOLE Master Peace Officer License, is a TCOLE Certified Instructor and a TCOLE Firearms Instructor. Lieutenant Harrison obtained his Advanced Undercover School Certification; and, in 2014, obtained Clan Lab Certification from the DEA Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Lieutenant Harrison has received numerous accolades to include seven letters of recognition, four letters of commendation including a letter in recognition of his proactive investigation that led to the recovery and lifesaving emergency medical treatment of an elderly female (2019), four letters of appreciation including one from then Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott (4/2006), a certificate of merit and officer of the month. In 2018, Lieutenant Harrison was selected as NVID Investigator of the year. In 2017, he was Investigator of the month for his proactive investigation leading to the safe return of a kidnapped underage human trafficking victim and the arrest of the offender.

Lieutenant Harrison currently represents the police department in many groups including the Homeless Coalition, Beautify Corpus Christi Association, Downtown Management District, Montessori School of Corpus Christi Safety Council, to name a few. He is also a co-founder of the Coordinated Outreach Group that coordinates all the private, state, federal and local homeless outreach partners in the area in an effort to stop duplicated resources and coordinate resources for individual cases.

Lieutenant Harrison’s then captain, Captain Sepulveda, stated this: “Lieutenant Harrison is a talented supervisor whom I have learned I can rely on, regardless of the difficulty of the task at hand or the novelty of the challenge. His combination of intelligence, his commitment to his community, and his compassionate character exemplifies the department’s goals and mission.”

In his free time, Lieutenant Harrison enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his three daughters.