Occurred on 7/26/12, 9:27 pm Deadly Conduct 2602 Prescott 1207260168
Officers responded to CASA of the Coastal Bend for several shots being fired. One of rounds fired shattered a window and went through an adjoining wall. A 62-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman inside the building were not injured.
Police report no motive for the shooting is known at this time, but the investigation is ongoing. If you have any information on this crime, the Police Department encourages you to call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or login online at www.888-TIPS.com. Tipsters will earn a cash reward if the suspects are arrested.
On July 27, 1984, Sergeant Ruben Almanza was assigned to the Narcotics Division and responded to assist officers on an armed robbery of the H.E.B. at Kostoryz and Gollihar. The suspects fled in a vehicle and bailed on foot in the residential neighborhood at Harold Street and Carroll Lane.
Sergeant Almanza, working in plain clothes, walked through yards on Harold Street looking for the suspect when he was ambushed and shot through a hole in a fence board by the suspect. Almanza fell to the ground and the suspect climbed over the fence and straddled Almanza, taking his service weapon, and then appeared he was going to shoot him again. At that point, now retired Lieutenant Eric Wramp, peered over the fence and fatally shoot the suspect. Sergeant Almanza was rushed to the hospital where he later passed away from his injuries a few minutes after midnight on July 28th.
Ruben joined the department on August 28, 1975. He worked in patrol and was later assigned to Special Services. Ruben’s police radio call sign was #419 while assigned to narcotics. The number was retired upon his death.
There are a few officers still working today which had the privilege and honor to have worked with Ruben. Sergeant Almanza is survived by his wife, Irma and three daughters, Melissa, Jennifer, and Tina.
In 1984, Ruben’s family and LULAC Council #1 set up the Sergeant Ruben Almanza Scholarship for High School graduates pursuing a Criminal Justice career. The first recipient was our own Senior Officer Albert Leal.
Occurred on 7/26/12, 9:29 pm Driving While Intoxicated w/Child IH 37 NB/Corn Products Road 1207260173
Officers were dispatched to a call for service involving a white Ford F-150 being driven recklessly in the area of IH 37 and Corn Products. Dispatch advised the pick-up truck were traveling at a high rate of speed and swerving all over the road.
Officer A. Gonzalez found the truck traveling northbound on IH 37 and pulled it over. The driver Golburn England (06/16/51) appeared to be intoxicated, drooling as he talked to the Officer. In the truck was England’s 11-year-old grandson who was uninjured and released into his grandmother’s care.
England was administered Standard Field Sobriety Tests and a Blood Specimen taken. He was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated with a Child, a State Jail Felony. The charge is punishable by up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Corpus Christi Police Officer Billy Browning talks with customer Amber Schkade about how she can help the Special Olympics
Occurred Thursday, July 26, 2012, 2029 South Padre Island Drive
Local Law Enforcement participated in the statewide “Tip-A-Cop” annual fundraiser Thursday night at the Texas Roadhouse in Corpus Christi to raise funds for the Special Olympics Texas athletes.
Corpus Christi Police Officers greeted customers then served water and tea. The officers volunteered their time to talk to the customers at the Texas Roadhouse about the Olympics. All the tips earned by the officers were donated to help special needs athletes for the Special Olympics.
Alice Fulton-Garza is the area director for the Special Olympics South Texas Area-2 and she was on site to coordinate the athletes and volunteer officers that participated in the Thursday fundraising event. Volunteers are considered the lifeline of the Special Olympics Texas program. More than 47,000 volunteers in Texas currently dedicate their time to Special Olympics. These volunteers serve as coaches, officials, committee members, competition assistants, speech coaches and much more.
Special Olympics Texas is a registered 501(c)(3), non-profit organization supported by private donations from individuals, corporations and organizations throughout the state. The funding supports year round training and competitions for 32,240 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Texas.
Anyone interested to get involved with Special Olympics Texas can contact the organization at 1-800-876-JOIN or http://www.specialolympicstexas.org.
Special Olympics volunteer coordinator Kathryn Pattillo holds a Law Enforcement Torch Run t-shirt for sale at the fundraiser at the Texas RoadhouseThese envelopes were distributed for the “Tip A Cop” event Thursday
Lieutenant Raymond Lara embraces Chief FloydSimpson at the conclusion of Lara’s 40 year career in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi Police Lieutenant Raymond Lara attended his last roll call of his 40 years of service as a Corpus Christi Police Officer Thursday, July 26, 2012.
Raymond Lara began his career in the Corpus Christi Police Department July 18, 1972. Lieutenant Lara was promoted to Sergeant in 1979, then promoted to Lieutenant on August 19, 1991. Lieutenant Lara served on the Honor Guard, a supervisor of Special Services, and as a supervisor of the SWAT team. Lieutenant Lara concluded his career as a police patrol shift supervisor. The shift roll call was attended by the Uniform Division Commander Heidi Frese, Assistant Chief Jesse Garcia, Assistant Chief Mike Markle, and Chief of Police Floyd Simpson.
Chief Simpson explained that his decision to leave the Dallas Police Department after 25 years and 11 months of service was not easy and a life changing event. Chief Simpson said with that in mind, the entire department should celebrate the 40 years of service from Lieutenant Lara in a strongly meaningful manner.
Chief Simpson listed a few items of interest like the price of houses, and gasoline in 1972 to place in perspective the difference in time of 40 years. Chief Simpson concluded with the fact that Lieutenant Lara’s chief of police, Floyd Simpson, was just 9 years old in 1972.
Lieutenant Tim Brown will take over as shift supervisor for the vacancy caused by Lieutenant Lara’s retirement.
The Corpus Christi Police Department honors Lieutenant Lara’s 40 years of service and wish him well for the next chapter of his life.
Occurred on 7/25/12, 8:23 pm Search Warrant 4300 Leopard Street 1207250148/1207250155
Senior Officer M. Thebeau who was going off duty exchanged information with Officers going on duty about a suspicious vehicle at La Siesta Motel during his shift. Further investigation revealed there were drugs inside one of the rooms. With the assistance of the Narcotics and Vice Division, a search and arrest warrant was served and seized were packaging material, a digital scale, a quantity of Marijuana and trace amounts of Crack Cocaine.
Two people inside the room were arrested and booked at the City Detention Center. Both Norma Linda Moreno (11/11/73) and Paulino De Los Santo Jr (04/30/85) were both charged with Manufacture Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Marijuana.
A third person Jacqueline Rojas (04/12/95) approached the room while the warrant was being served. Rojas was found to be possession of Marijuana cigarette and a pill. She was also arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Dangerous Drugs.
Occurred on 7/25/12, 10:55 pm Aggravated Assault 3200 S Staples Street 1207250174
Officers were called to the Casa Linda Apartments by the victim’s mother who reported her 19-year-old son had been stabbed in the eye. Upon their arrival, Officers were told by the victim than an ongoing quarrel with a neighbor escalated into a confrontation when the suspect intentionally bumped into him as he walked home from work.
A fight ensued in which the victim was stabbed in the right eye with a screwdriver. The victim also sustained two other stab wounds to the face. He was taken to Spohn Memorial by CCFD Emergency Personnel for medical treatment. Police at Spohn Memorial reported Doctors were able to save the victim’s eye.
The suspect went home and his mother called police to report her son Brandon Lee Owens (12/12/84) had been assaulted. Officers contacted Owens and his Mother at 3245 S. Staples Street and arrested him. Owens had a small cut to the inside of his mouth and refused medical treatment.
Officers were able to recover the screwdriver used in the assault at Owens’s apartment. Owen was booked at the City Detention Center and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
Occurred on 7/26/12, 03:49 am Burglary of Habitation Intending Other Felony 4379 Eastwind Drive 1207260030
Police were dispatched to 4379 Eastwind Drive for a shooting. Officers arrived to the sounds of female screaming and found the victim in one of the bedrooms with a gunshot to his leg. The victim told Officers he woke up to find a Hispanic male standing over him. When he began to rise from the bed the male tased him. A struggle ensued and the suspect ran out of the bedroom. The victim chased the suspect, but once he reached the hallway he saw another man standing at the end of the hallway.
The second suspect shot the victim striking him in the upper thigh. Both the men fled and the victim returned to his bedroom where three family members of the homeowner applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The victim was taken to Spohn Memorial by CCFD Emergency Personnel.
The victim told Police both suspects were male, he was unable to provide any further description on the shooter, but did say the suspect with the taser was a light-skinned Hispanic.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Corpus Christi Police Department Homicide/Robbery Bureau at 361-886-2841. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 888-TIPS or login online at www.888-TIPS.com. Tipsters will earn a cash reward if the suspects are arrested.
Three people were arrested Wednesday after they filled a shopping cart full of merchandise at the Wal-Mart on Saratoga and left without paying for the merchandise that was valued at over $1,000.
Wal-Mart employees told Corpus Christi Police two men and a woman filled the cart with merchandise, then loaded the merchandise in a truck and then left the store without having paid for the merchandise. The woman, 18-year-old Brittany Martin (4/1/1994), was left behind by the two men and pointed out to police by the Wal-Mart employees.
Police detained Martin and then noticed the blue 2002 Ford Ranger pickup described by employees as the vehicle used by the thieves had returned to the parking lot. Police officers stopped the truck and detained 41-year-old Robert Martin (12/31/1970) and 37-year-old Justin Toole (11/1/1974) to investigate the theft.
Officers were directed to the merchandise that was stashed behind the Luby’s restaurant and the merchandise was returned to the Wal-Mart. All three suspects were arrested for theft.
The Corpus Christi Police Property Crimes Investigator supervisor, Lieutenant James Garrett, offered a new process to file shoplifting cases from local stores the monthly Corpus Christi Against Loss meeting hosted by the The Corpus Christi Police Department at the La Palmera Mall Wednesday.
The Corpus Christi Against Loss monthly meetings are held every third Wednesday at 10:00am at the La Palmera Mall. The meetings are attended by the loss prevention representatives, district managers for local businesses, and by Corpus Christi Police supervisors. The purpose of the meetings is to disseminate and exchange information about property crime trends and identify criminals.
Lieutenant James Garrett provided envelopes to the loss prevention representatives that outline needed material and evidence in order to successfully prosecute shoplifting cases. Lieutenant Garrett said this effort to streamline information will provide speedy trials and successful prosecutions for those arrested for theft. The checklist of items required for prosecution is printed on the outside of the envelope so that the items are to be placed inside the envelope for the district attorneys presentation in court.
The items required in the envelope for prosecution include store video and receipts which the police officers are unable to access without assistance from store employees. This checklist on the envelope is a system to prevent mistake or incomplete packages of information that delays and reduces the prosecution of offenders.
District Attorney Skurka made an appearance this Wednesday to provide the district attorneys office perspective on the new process to file criminal cases against those that commit theft. All in attendance agreed that the goal is successful prosectutions of all offenders.
CCPD Blotter 
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