All posts by Kirk Stowers

Community Outreach

Corpus Christi Police Host “Women In Policing” Seminar

Senior Officer Denise Pace stands next to patrol officers Maria Pici, Olga Flores, and Imelda Benevides at the start of the Women In Policing seminar.

The Corpus Christi Police Department’s Training Division hosted a “Women in Policing” Seminar on Wednesday July 18, 2012 from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the Police Departments Training Center.

This seminar gave prospective female applicants an opportunity to hear from successful female officers and ask questions about how they juggle family life and a law enforcement career. Topics of discussion included; the application process, the police academy, career opportunities with the C.C.P.D. and other topics.

The Corpus Christi Police Department’s Training Division will host a second “Women in Policing” Seminar on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the Del Mar College West Campus/ Emerging Technologies Building 4101 Old Brownsville Rd. Corpus Christi, TX 78405 Room # ET105.

Please join us for an evening to explore an exciting career in law enforcement and hear from women who have very successful careers with the Corpus Christi Police Department.

For additional information please contact Maryann Carrillo at (361) 826-4071.

Delta District, Patrol Division

Two Men Ejected From Club Return To Destroy Vehicles

Occurred Thursday, July 19, 2012, 1:28am, 3601 Morgan Avenue, Criminal Mischief and Deadly Conduct, 1207190018

Corpus Christi Police are seeking two men that broke several car windows and shot several cars with a firearm after they were kicked out of a local nightclub.

Several men attempted to sell jewelry in the parking lot of the business when a fight happened. The employees of the business told the men to leave and not return. Two of the men returned, one with a crow bar, and the other with a pistol.

The man with the crowbar broke the windows to three cars in the parking lot. The man with the pistol shot the same cars with the broken windows.

A woman exited the business and the man with the pistol pointed the firearm in her direction. The woman went back into the building and was not harmed.

The man with the pistol was described as a Hispanic male, 5 ft. 10 in., about 180 pounds, in his 20’s in age that wore a blue and white striped polo shirt, shorts and white tennis shoes. The man with the pistol also has a red lip tattoo on his neck.

The man with the crowbar was described as a Hispanic male also in his twenties in age, 5 ft. 8 in., 180 pounds, and wore a black shirt, white shorts, and white shoes.

The two men got into a gold car to leave the area. No injuries were reported and the property damage is estimated to be $3,000.

Corpus Christi Police collected evidence from the scene. Anyone with additional information about this crime should call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or submit an online tip at www.888TIPS.com. If the information leads to an arrest it could earn the tipster a cash reward.

Adam District, Patrol Division

Computer Equipment Stolen Overnight From Business

Occurred Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 9:30am, Burglary of a Building, 3715 Leopard St. 1207180043

Corpus Christi police are investigating a burglary in which computer equipment was taken from a business.

Police investigators believe a person moved tires to the side of the building to climb and gain access the roof of the business. The person then removed sections of the roof to access the interior of the building.

Employees told police the interior of the business was ransacked and computer equipment valued at $650 was taken.

Police Forensics Lab Technicians gathered evidence at the scene. Anyone with additional information about this crime should call Crimes Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or submit an online tip at www.888TIPS.com. If the information leads to an arrest, it could earn the caller a cash reward.

Charlie District, Criminal Investigations Division

Shoplifter Sought By Police

      

Occurred Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 20:45, 5488 S. Padre Island Drive, Theft 1207115001

Corpus Christi Police Property Crimes Investigators want help from the public to identify and locate a shoplifter.

Corpus Christi Police are investigating several thefts from department stores in which the same man has been responsible to take several hundred dollars worth of clothes without paying for the merchandise.

The man sought by police went to the Macy’s on July 10 and grabbed 8 pairs of Miss Me Pants valued at $800 and ran out of the store without paying for the pants. Macy’s employees provided video images to police to aid the investigation.

The man is described as a Hispanic male, about 6 feet tall that wore a powder blue baseball cap, a blue and white striped long sleeve shirt, white basketball shorts and white basketball shoes.

Anyone with information about this crime should call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or submit an online tip at www.888TIPS.com. If the information leads to an arrest, it could earn the caller a cash reward.

Delta District, Patrol Division

Intoxicated Woman Arrested While Her 2 Month Old Alone At Home

Occurred Monday, July 16, 2012, 23:51 Child Abandonment, Public Intoxication, 2400 Kingsolving Court Resist Arrest 1207170001

A 21-year-old woman was arrested for public intoxication while her 2 month old child was unattended in a nearby apartment.

Corpus Christi Police responded to a disturbance call in which a woman stood in the intersection of 22nd Street and Ruth Street, held a beer and yelled a person. The woman, 21-year-old Sophia Pichardo (12/20/1990), told police she lived on a county road and did not provide an actual address for her place of residence.

Pichardo displayed indications that she was strongly intoxicated and was a danger to herself or others if she were left alone. Pichardo was arrested for public intoxication.

Pichardo was placed in the back seat of the patrol car and Pichardo then told police officers her 2 moth old child was alone in an apartment at the 2400 block of Kingsolving Court. Police Patrol Officers investigated the apartment and discovered an unattended 2 month old child.

Child Protective Services was called to the scene to investigate and provide safe placement of the child.

Pichardo was arrested for public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine. Pichardo was additionally charged with Abandoning a Child, a 2nd degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Criminal Investigations Division, Delta District, Patrol Division

Police Seek Missing Disabled Woman

Corpus Christi Police are searching for a disabled 23-year-old woman, Brittany Gonzales, who was last seen Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 11:00pm walking on Morgan Avenue toward Alameda Street in Corpus Christi. Brittany Gonzales resides with her grandmother who told police that Brittany took a trip to the Sunrise Foods on Thursday night and never returned home.
 
Police investigated and located an individual that saw Brittany on Morgan walking toward Alameda. Police would like additional help from the public to find Brittany. Brittany is a 23-year-old Hispanic woman who stands 5 ft. 6 in., 190 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. Brittany is mentally slow from a childhood illness, has a lazy left eye, a large skin graft on her right leg, and 8 amputated fingers.
 
Anyone with any information to locate Brittany Gonzales should call Corpus Christi Police at 886-2850 to speak to Detective R.L. Garcia.
 
Additionally; Corpus Christi Police would like the public to know to report any person that may  be in danger. There is no time period one must wait before reporting a person as missing. If a person is missing and possibly in some kind of danger, call police immediately.
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Delta District

Simple Traffic Stop Erupts To Felony Arrest

Occurred Saturday, July 14, 2012, 23:20, 6400 Weber Road, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Tampering With Evidence, Evading Arrest, 1207140181

A 30-year-old man was arrested Saturday night for evading arrest and for destruction of evidence and a variety of other charges after a Corpus Christi Police Officer initiated a traffic stop at Everhart and Saratoga for an inoperable license plate light.

The Patrol officer noticed a black Ford F-150 travel north on the 6400 block of Everhart at 11:20pm without an operable license plate light. The patrol officer activated the emergency lights on the patrol car and the truck traveled west on Saratoga Boulevard. The operator of the truck, Joe Hernandez (1/25/1982) refused to stop for the officer. Hernandez threw out a bag of a white substance at Saratoga and Senators. Other police officers recovered the bag and discovered the contents were illegal narcotics.

Hernandez stopped the truck at the corner of Weber and Saratoga, a mile after the officer originally initiated the traffic stop, and Hernandez was arrested for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle, a 3rd degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Officers discovered narcotics inside the vehicle and Hernandez was charged with possession of a controlled substance (a state jail felony) and for tampering with evidence (a Class A misdemeanor).

Officers discovered Hernandez had two warrants for his arrest from Nueces County for Criminal Mischief. The truck was impounded and Hernandez was delivered to the City Detention Center.

Delta District

Two Boys Apprehended In Violation Of Curfew and Graffiti

Occurred Saturday, July 14, 2012, 23:21, Kostoryz Road at Manshiem Boulevard, Graffiti & curfew violations, 1207140183

A 15-year-old and a 16-year-old were taken into custody Saturday night for their connection to $450 worth of damage for graffiti in the area of Sacky and Wharton.

Corpus Christi Police were called at 11:15pm Saturday night for a graffiti complaint. The caller told police that juveniles who were responsible for graffiti were in an orange car and used red paint in the area of Sacky and Wharton.

A Corpus Christi Police Officer saw an orange car with occupants who matched the description of the suspects at Kostoryz and Mansheim.  The officer investigated the vehicle and its occupants and discovered evidence of the crime.

A 16-year-old boy and his 15-year-old boy passenger were apprehended and delivered to the Nueces County Juvenile Detention Center for graffiti (a Class B Misdemeanor); for possession of graffiti implements (a Class C Misdemeanor); and for violation of night-time curfew (a Class C Misdemeanor).

Delta District

Thieves Run From Store Employees Directly To Police

Occurred Monday, July 16, 2012, 1:35am, 4500 McGregor Dr. Theft, curfew violations, 1207160010

Two were arrested Monday morning after they ran with stolen property past a police officer at 1:35 in the morning near the Wal-Mart on Staples.

Corpus Christi Police Officer Paul Janko patrolled the 4500 block of McGregor and saw a man and a juvenile boy run past his marked patrol car at 1:35am. Officer Janko stopped the two and discovered 20-year-old Juan Sanchez (5/1/1992) and a 16-year-old boy had $78 worth of merchandise from the Wal-Mart and no receipt.

Officer Janko took the two back to Wal-Mart and investigated the possible theft. Wal-Mart employees verified that Sanchez and the juvenile had taken the merchandise without paying and then ran from the store until they ran past Officer Janko.

The merchandise was returned to the store and Sanchez was arrested for theft, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and up to a $2,000 fine. Sanchez was also arrested for inducing night curfew punishable by a fine up to $200.

The 16-year-old juvenile was referred to the juvenile court and delivered to the Nueces County Juvenile Justice Center for the theft and for violation of night curfew.

Delta District

Bank Robber Arrested In Flour Bluff

Occurred Thursday, July 12, 2012, 10:50am, 9552 S Padre Island Dr. Aggravated Robbery 1207120050, 1207120074

A 58-year-old man was arrested Thursday for a bank robbery in Flour Bluff.

Corpus Christi Police Officer David Mihalco responded to a bank robbery at the Navy Army Federal Credit Union in Flour Bluff. The dispatcher announced information that the bank robber was a white man who wore a blue and white cap, gray shirt, and blue jeans that left in a white Mazda. The dispatcher then provided the license plate number of the vehicle operated by the suspect.

Officer Mihalco noticed a parked Mazda truck parked in a driveway on Lakeside Drive. Officer Mihalco investigated and discovered the unoccupied truck was the same used in the bank robbery. Officer Mihalco stayed with the truck while other patrol officers searched for the suspect.

Officer Rodney Cantu searched the area near the truck and located a man who matched the suspect description in the area of Claride Street and Lakeside Drive. The man, Michael Richey (9/29/1953) ran from Officer Cantu until cornered in a fenced area in front of a business. Richey then presented a black object with a handle that appeared to Officer Cantu as a handgun. Richey threw the object to the ground. Richey slowly complied with officers instructions to get to the ground, but then reached for the object thrown to the ground. Officers placed Richey in handcuffs, and then discovered the object Richey threw to the ground was a plastic spray paint handle that had an appearance of a pistol.

Corpus Christi Police Robbery Detectives arrived at the bank and verified Richey was responsible for the robbery. Detectives determined all suspects in this event were in police custody.

No person was injured at the bank. Richey is accused of entering the bank and demanding money with the threat of force from the bank teller. Richey left the bank with an undetermined amount of money. All the money was recovered and it is too early in the investigation to determine if Richey is connected to any other robbery.

Richey was arrested for Aggravated Robbery, a first degree felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Richey was also charged with evading arrest, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and up to a $4,000 fine.