Community Outreach, Delta District

Police Launch Internal Investigation into Animal Control Incident

On July 30th, 2012 a CCPD Patrol Officer and Animal Control Officer responded to an address on the 3600 block of Wright Street to investigate an allegation of animal neglect. Upon their arrival officers discovered the carcass of dog that appeared to have died due to neglect, ie-lack of adequate water, shade, etc.. The Animal Control Officer impounded a second dog that also appeared to be neglected, while the Patrol Officer generated an incident report for animal cruelty against the dogs’ owner. A necropsy was later conducted upon the deceased dog and the veterinarian determined it had died due to dehydration and excessive body heat. On or about July 31st, the animal cruelty case was forwarded to the District Attorney’s office Misdemeanor section for prosecution.

Earlier today, the investigating Animal Control Officer and the dog’s owner appeared in Municipal Court for a hearing regarding the impounded dog. A Municipal Court Judge ruled to release the impounded animal back to the owner, assessing impound fees and associated costs. The Animal Control Officer returned to the Animal Control Facility, where he discovered that the impounded dog had been inadvertently euthanized on August 16th, 2012 by another Animal Control Employee. Paperwork associated with the animal clearly indicated that the dog was being held pending the August 17th municipal court hearing and could not be euthanized prior to August 28, 2012. The incident was brought to the attention of Animal Control Supervisors, who referred the incident to the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit for investigation. The employee in question has been reassigned duties within Animal Control pending the outcome of the investigation, which could result in discipline up to and including demotion, suspension or termination.

“I am just as upset as those in the community over this needless destruction of an animal in our custody,” stated Commander Todd Green, whose duties include the supervision of Animal Care and Control Services. “I assure you that we will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident and take whatever corrective measures are appropriate to ensure that this never occurs again.” Commander Green added that since the Police Department assumed responsibility over Animal Care and Control in January of the year, it has made tremendous strides forward toward improved service, but this is certainly an unacceptable event and will not be tolerated.

Delta District

Reckless DWI Driver Arrested

Occurred on 8/16/12, 11:27pm  Driving While Intoxicated 5200 Hwy 358    1208160169 

Officers arrested Jonathan O’brien (05/03/88) after he was observed traveling on SH 358 at approximately 100 m.p.h.  The driver of the maroon Crown Victoria was swerving in and out of traffic almost striking a police car and another motorist.   

O’Brien was pulled over in the 5200 block of S. Padre Island Drive and appeared to be intoxicated when Officers approached him.  He was administered  Standard Field Sobriety Tests and a blood warrant was obtained.  O’Brien was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated.

Delta District

Teens Threatened with Shotgun

Richard Lee Gaston

Occurred on 8/16/12, 6:09 pm  Deadly Conduct   2600  Alamo Drive  1208160127 

Police received a complaint of a disturbance involving a shotgun which had been pointed at several teenagers.  Further investigation revealed the teenagers were confronted by the suspect and accused of several neighborhood crimes and being involved in drug dealing in the area. 

The victims told Officers they were walking home when the suspect Richard Lee Gaston (11/28/52) began cursing at them.  The teens told police they asked Gaston to leave them alone, but he walked over to his truck, grabbed a shotgun, and began pointing it at them.  The teens were able to run away unharmed and call police.  A witness confirmed the juveniles account of the incident, telling police the teens were minding their own business when confronted by Gaston.

Gaston was arrested and charged with Deadly Conduct~Aggravated Assault.

 

 

Delta District, Narcotics/Vice Division

Drug House Raided

Tina Vasquez

Occurred on 8/16/12, 8:17 pm  Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance  1007 12th Street  1208160149

Corpus Christi Police Department Narcotics & Vice Investigators served a search and arrest warrant at 1007 12th Street.  They were assisted by the SWAT Team who made a safe entry into the residence.  Inside the home Police found several individuals..

A 27-year-old man in a back bedroom passed out shortly after entry was made inside the residence.   He was treated by SWAT Team Paramedics and taken to a local hospital where he was treated for a possible overdose.

Tina Vasquez (07/28/77) the man’s girlfriend was arrested and charged with three counts of Manufacture and Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Marijuana.

Investigators did find a quantity of Crack Cocaine inside the residence.   The 27-year-old man was released to hospital staff for medical evaluation.   He also faces narcotics related charges.  A man and woman also in the home were released.

The Corpus Christi Police Department will continue to dedicate resources to combat crime and criminals that negatively impact the quality of life in our community.  If you know of any criminal activity being committed in your neighborhood please call us 361-886-COPS (2677) or Crime Stoppers at 361-888-TIPS.

Bravo District, Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol Division

Police Seek Thief In Scrubs

    

Occurred Saturday, July 28, 2012, 19:52, 1250 Flour Bluff Drive, Theft, 1207280131

The Corpus Christi Police Property Crimes Investigators would like help from the public to identify and locate the individual responsible for a theft at the Wal-Mart in Flour Bluff on July 28.

A man was captured on security cameras as he entered the store. The man got a plastic storage container,placed pillows in the container, then filled the container with electronics and left the store without paying for the merchandise. The total value of the items stolen was $1,091.

Corpus Christi Police Investigators believe this individual has conducted several thefts in this manner. The man is described as a man who wears scrubs each time he commits theft, 25-35 years of age, 5 foot 8 inches tall about 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. The man got into a silver 4 door Cadillac that waited for him with an accomplice that operated the car.

Anyone with additional information to identify and locate this person 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 you a cash reward.

Bravo District, Community Outreach, Delta District, Traffic Safety Division

Photos of Hit & Run Suspect Vehicle Released


Occurred Sunday, August 5, 2012, 2033, Ocean Drive at Poenisch Drive, Accident Involving Injury or Death 1208050122 & C1205862

Corpus Christi Police Hit & Run Investigators are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect involved in the hit & run accident involving a 21-year-old jogger in the 6400 block of Ocean Drive.  The driver of the light-colored vehicle left without providing any aid to the young woman. The woman jogger was taken by ambulance to the hospital with serious injuries. 

Investigators are looking for a light-colored, sport utility vehicle which was seen by witnesses to travel a block away from the crash site and slowed down as if to turn around. The driver waited a moment, and then sped away toward Ennis Joslin Road.

Corpus Christi Police Hit and Run Investigators recovered evidence from the scene and are now searching for a late Chevrolet S-10 Blazer or GMC Jimmie with front end damage to include a missing passenger side head light assembly.

Anyone with additional information about this crime should call Corpus Christi Police Hit and Run Investigators immediately at 361-886-2600.  Anonymous tips may be made to Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888TIPS.com.

Community Outreach, Criminal Intelligence Unit

Police Believe Kidnapper May Be In The Corpus Christi Area

Aaron Cox
Cara Cox with age progression

The United States Marshall’s Office has provided photographs of 53-year-old Aaron Cox who is wanted by the Volusia County, Florida Sheriff’s Office for non-custodial parental abduction and may be living in the Corpus Christi area under a false name.

Cox kidnapped his daughter, Cara Cox, on August 14, 2009 when she was 8 years old. Cox kidnapped his 8-year-old daughter from her mother in Florida. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has provided an age accelerated photograph of Cara Cox to show what she may look like today at age 11.

Aaron Cox is 53 years old and is described as a white man, 5ft. 8inches tall, 145 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair.

Anyone with any information to locate Aaron or Cara Cox, 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 you a cash reward.

 

Charlie District, Community Outreach

6-Month-Old Left in Car Unattended

Occurred on 8/15/12, 8:33 pm  Child Abandonment   4320 S. Alameda 1208150152 

Officers were dispatched to the H.E.B. parking lot for a child who was left unattended in a blue Chevrolet Cobalt.  Upon their arrival, Officers observed the infant slumped over the side of his rear facing car seat.  Officers report the child was drenched in sweat, but still breathing. 

As the Officer was checking the car doors, a witness and unknown male forced a cracked window down and unlocked the door.  The infant was taken to Driscoll Children’s Hospital by CCFD Emergency Personnel.  At the time of the report, the 6-month-old was listed in stable condition. 

Officers paged the owner of the Cobalt and located the baby’s grandmother who was accompanied by her boyfriend and granddaughter.  The grandmother told Police she dropped off the baby’s mother at home and was unaware her grandchild was still in the car.   

The Criminal Investigation Division Detectives will coordinate their investigation with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, especially during the hot summer months.  The temperature in a vehicle can rise quickly and be deadly.   In the state of Texas criminal charges can be filed if you knowingly or intentionally left your child in your vehicle.  

According to the Texas Penal Code Sec. 22.10. LEAVING A CHILD IN A VEHICLE. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly leaves a child in a motor vehicle for longer than five minutes, knowing that the child is:

(1) younger than seven years of age; and
(2) is not attended by an individual in the vehicle who is 14 years of age or older.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class “C” misdemeanor, but if the child is injured, the charge is elevated to child endangerment, which is a felony.

The month of August is Purple Ribbon Month representing Never Leave Your Child Alone.  Call 911 immediately if you see a child in an unattended vehicle.  Help us protect the most vulnerable in our community. 

 

 

Delta District, Patrol Division

Man Faces Criminal Charges For Death Of A Dog

Occurred Monday, July 30, 2012, 13:30, 3633 Wright Street, Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals 1207300065

A 25-year-old man is accused of cruelty to non-livestock animals, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $4,000 fine in relation to the death of a dog at the 3600 block of Wright Street on July 30.

Corpus Christi Police were called by neighbors of the accused man to investigate a dog on leash that was not near water, food, or shelter and appeared to be in distress. The Police Officer found the dog leashed by a chain and was exposed in the heat of the day without food or water or shade. The Officer discovered the dog was dead and the Officer contacted the 25-year-old owner of the dog who did not know the dog had died.

Corpus Christi Animal Care workers collected the dog and a necropsy was performed. The necropsy report cited the dog had excessive body temperature and was dehydrated. The criminal case has been filed with the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office.

Bravo District, Criminal Investigations Division

Police Disrupt Auto Theft Group

Occurred Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 7:45am, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, 1208150061

A 31-year-old man was arrested when he was found in a vehicle stolen from a car lot on the 4300 block of South Staples Street Wednesday morning.

Corpus Christi police were called by the manager of a car dealership on the 4300 block of Staples Street Wednesday morning to report a blue 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 truck valued at $15,000 stolen from the lot. Corpus Christi Police Officers searched the area and found the truck at an apartment complex located at the 400 block of Eldon Drive.

Detectives from the Corpus Christi Police Auto Theft Task Force watched the truck until the truck was driven away. The Detectives requested Corpus Christi Police Patrol Officers to initiate a traffic stop on the truck. The truck travelled to South Padre Island Drive and then turned into the parking lot of a business at the 4500 block of South Padre Island Drive just as Police Patrol cars arrived to attempt to initiate the traffic stop.

The operator of the truck got onto a bicycle that was in the bed of the truck and attempted to flee from police on the bike. Corpus Christi Police captured 31-year-old George Ortiz (5/21/1981) and arrested him for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Evading Arrest.

Corpus Christi Police Auto Theft Task Force Detectives identified Ortiz as part of a group of individuals responsible for 5 stolen trucks from dealerships in Corpus Christi since the beginning of June 2012. The 5 trucks are all Dodge Ram pickups and are taken with the intent to disassemble the vehicles for parts, or be sold in Mexico. Detectives continue to investigate this case and more arrests may result. Detectives encourage anyone with additional information about these crimes to call Detectives with the Auto Theft Task Force at 886-2862. Anyone with any information should not assume police have the information, and provide the information without delay.

The Corpus Christi Police Auto Theft Task Force Detectives encourage the public to be aware of a few no-cost precautions to avoid vehicle theft. One tip is to take your keys. Half of all vehicles stolen in Texas (roughly 50,000 annually) are the result of keys left in the ignition.

A second tip is to lock the doors. Half of all stolen vehicles were left unlocked. Park in well-lit areas and don’t tempt thieves by leaving valuables in sight.

Report any vehicle theft to the police immediately if your vehicle has been stolen. Be ready to provide the vehicle year, make, model, color, Vehicle Identification Number, and the license plate number to increase your chances for recovery. For more information, call 1-800-CAR-Watch or visit www.txwatchyourcar.com.

Corpus Christi Police Daily Blotter