Charlie District

Two Injured in Drive By Shooting

Occurred on 6/10/12, 5:53 am  Aggravated Assault  4701 Vestal  1206100041

While Officers were conducting their investigation into the drive by at 1714 Islla, the Police Department received a call for a drive by at 4701 Vestal Drive.  The caller reported multiple rounds were heard.  Upon their arrival, Officers found several casings in the roadway.  As the secured the crime scene, Officers heard several gun shots and Officers raced to locate the shooters. 

Call takers advised Officers that two vehicles in the area of Vestal and Garden were shooting at one another.  Officers located the two vehicles at 4701 Vestal and carefully approached the residence.  A man in the process of calling 911 began yelling at Officers that his brother and a friend had been shot.  The man’s 27-year-old brother was found sitting in the bed of a pick-up truck bleeding from his thigh.  Another male, 27, was found in a white Concord attempting to drive himself to the hospital.  He had sustained a gunshot wound to the stomach.  Both men were taken to Spohn Memorial with non-life threatening injuries.

The men told police a black or silver vehicle turned from Garden onto Vestal and began shooting.  They were unable to provide any additional information.  It unknown if the two drive bys were related at this time.  Both drive bys are currently being investigated by the Police Department’s Drive By Response Team.  Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or logon to www.888-TIPS.com.  Your tip will be taken in the strictest confidence and tips leading to the arrest of the suspects pay a cash reward up to $1,000.

 

Community Outreach

Police Department Conducts Physical Condition Pre-Assessment

TAMUCC assistant professor of kinisiology Jay Dawes keeps time as an officer completes the mile and a half run

The Corpus Christi Police Department will conduct the physical fitness pre-assessment at the Police Training Center from June 11- June 15, 2012.

The purpose of this pre-assessment is to evaluate the officer’s fitness level before the actual assessment in November. Trainers will set goals for improvement and allow time for training so that the officers will perform well for the annual fitness assessment.

The Corpus Christi Police Department began the Physical Readiness Fitness Program in 2010. The purpose of the wellness testing is to improve the quality of life for the officers and seek to benefit the city with less money spent on sick time, disability and liability. The citizens benefit with better services by law enforcement officers that are in peak physical health.

The policy has a focus on fitness, health and nutrition and provides resources and encouragement for officers to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The fitness assessments administered annually promote growth and improvement to a desired level of fitness.

The Corpus Christi Police Department established the physical readiness program to increase or maintain high aerobic activity, good muscular strength, and good muscular endurance. The physical fitness test includes six events which are the 1 minute maximum push-ups, 1 minute maximum sit-ups, vertical jump, 1 repetition maximum bench press, 300 meter run, and the 1 ½ mile run.

The program is voluntary for the officers and offers incentive for participation. The program is evaluated by the full-time training academy staff and includes an adjunct fitness trainer for this pre-assessment this year. The physical training and the fitness pre-assessment have the help from Jay Dawes, an assistant professor of kinesiology at the Texas A&M University Corpus Christi campus. Mr. Dawes began to volunteer with the Corpus Christi police department in January 2012 and has increased the performance of officer’s physical training.

Mr. Dawes often helps the training academy staff with three daily workouts available to all Corpus Christi Police Officers. The Corpus Christi Police Department has the goal to have all employees be physically fit and healthy in order to provide the highest quality service to the Corpus Christi community.

Training Academy Trainer Senior Officer Travis Pace spots the maximum bench press event
Charlie District

Home Damaged by Gunfire in Early Morning Drive By

Occurred on 6/10/12, 5:28 am  Deadly Conduct   1714 Islla  1206100040

Officers working a drive by contacted the residents at 1714 Islla who reported their home and a vehicle parked in the driveway were struck by gunfire.  Officers found multiple shell casings on the roadway in front of 1710, 1714, and 1718 Islla.  A 47-year-old woman Officers everyone inside the home was asleep when they awoke to the sound of gunfire.  An elderly couple, both 74 years of age, and a 53-year-old man were also inside the home at the time of the drive by.  The victims were unable to provide Officers a motive or a description of the suspect or suspects.  All four residents were uninjured.

Multiple rounds struck the home, a trash can, and a storage shed as well as two cars parked in the driveway, a Nissan Sentra and a Kia Spectra.  The damage was estimated at 2,800.  The Drive By Response Team is currently investigating the drive by.  Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or www.888-TIPS.com.

Delta District

Homeless Man Arrested for Violating Parole on Murder Charge

Ruben Mendiola


Occurred on 6/10/12, 9:00 pm  Parole Violation  521 Starr Street 1206100124

Police received a call for service for a shirtless man wearing black gloves acting strangely as he tried to wave passersby down.  A check for warrants revealed Ruben Mendiola (01/28/61) had an outstanding warrant.

Mendiola was arrested and charged with a Motion to Revoke Probation warrant out of Montgomery County for Murder.

Traffic Safety Division

Safe Traffic Operations Program To Move This Weekend

The Corpus Christi Safe Traffic Operations Program will move their physical location and mailing address June 11, 2012 to a more convenient location next to the Office of Administrative Hearings.

The Corpus Christi Safe Traffic Operations Program (C.C.S.T.O.P.) manages the red light camera violations. The physical location will move from 3833 South Staples in Hamlin Center to the Wilson Building located at 615 Leopard Street #108. The hours of operation for the C.C.S.T.O.P. are Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm. The phone number for the office will remain the same which is 361-887-0481.

Payments made to the C.C.S.T.O.P. may be Cashier’s Checks or money orders but personal and business checks are no longer accepted. Online payments may be made at www.photonotice.com. Violators must have the citation number, the city code (CORPCH) and the license plate number of the vehicle in violation when responding to a citaiton.

Adam District, Criminal Investigations Division

Miranda Cisneros Captured

Occurred Friday, June 08, 2012, 11:00am, 13200 Shelton Blvd. Warrant Service 1206080062

Miranda Cisneros (6/13/1991) was captured Friday by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force in Northwest Corpus Christi.

Cisneros had active warrants for aggravated robbery, child endangerment, and criminal mischief in connection to a theft at the Wal-Mart on the 1800 block of South Padre Island Drive on June 2. The task force developed information from Crime Stoppers tips to locate Cisneros at a family member’s residence. Cisneros was found hiding in a closet and was arrested. Cisneros was then delivered to the Corpus Christi city detention center.

Charlie District, Patrol Division

Felony Fugitive Attracts Police Attention At Night Club

Occurred Wednesday, June 6, 2012, 1:16am, 4653 Everhart Rd. Public Intoxication, Warrants of arrest 1206060009

A 21-year-old man was arrested Wednesday for having 4 warrants for his arrest when he attracted the attention of Police when he bothered customers at a night club.

Customers of a night club approached a Corpus Christi Police Officer to complain that 21-year-old Viviano Alvarado (3/16/1991) was in the club and intentionally bumped into people repeatedly in an inappropriate manner. The officer observed Alvarado bump into a person in the manner described and Alvarado appeared to sway while he stood which indicated to the officer that Alvarado was possibly intoxicated.

The officer escorted Alvarado out of the club and determined that Alvarado was intoxicated. The officer recognized Alvarado’s name as a wanted person. The officer conducted a routine warrants check and discovered Alvarado had four warrants for arrest. The warrants were all from Nueces County and were for Burglary of a Habitation ($35,000 bond), Theft (Bond $500.00), Motion To Revoke probation for Reckless Driving (No Bond), and Motion To Revoke probation for Possession of Marijuana (No Bond).

Alvarado was then delivered to the Corpus Christi city detention center for the warrants and an additional charge for public intoxication.

Bravo District, Community Outreach, Patrol Division

Corpus Christi Police Have A Special Beach Patrol For Summer

Beach patrol Officer Eric Smith visits with a family on vacation from San Marcus

The Corpus Christi Police Department has a special patrol unit on the beach this year in an effort to provide additional safety for visitors this summer.

The Beach Patrol unit is staffed by Officer Eric Garza and Officer Eric Smith. Both officers are certified lifeguards and previously worked on the beach for the Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department before they joined the Police Department. Officers Garza and Smith ride in a police vehicle equipped with first aid supplies and rescue equipment which are provided by the beach director, Derek Herzog. Officers Smith and Garza have a special uniform they wear while on duty on the beach which was also provided by the Parks Department.

The duties for Officers Garza and Smith primarily are city ordinance enforcement as it relates to beach safety such as glass containers, fires, unleashed dogs, and traffic enforcement on the beach. The special detail began May 21 and will operate until Labor Day. Officers Garza and Smith will return to normal patrol duty after September 3.

Officers Garza and Smith have participated in the rescue efforts of 3 near drowning events, helped an overturned kayaker in the Packary Channel, helped to locate a missing 5 year old girl on the beach, assisted Ambulance crews with a heart attack patient, and helped with an overturned boater near Beach Marker 199 all since they began the Beach Patrol May 21.

Officers Garza and Smith have been employed with the Corpus Christi Police Department for less than 5 years. The beach patrol is one of many components of the Corpus Christi Police Department other than routine patrol. For those interested in employment with the Corpus Christi Police Department, applications will soon be accepted in anticipation for the police academy scheduled for early 2013.

The base salary for a police cadet as of March 2012 is $3,213 per month. A probationary police officer has a base salary of $45,912 per year. The Corpus Christi Police Officer with less than 5 years on the department has a salary that ranges from $45,912-$54,696 per year.

Anyone interested to review the complete list of requirements and information about a career with the Corpus Christi Police Department should visit www.ccpolice.com Any interested person should send an email to recruiter@cctexas.com in order to express interest in employment with the Corpus Christi Police Department. Applications are completed on line only when applications are being accepted. Any interested person that sends an email to the recruiter will be notified when applications are being accepted.

 

Eris Smith on beach patrol

 

 

Charlie District

Driver Sleeping It Off Arrested

Occurred on 6/8/12, 3:33 a.m.  Driving While Intoxicated  4434 S. Padre Island Drive 1206080022 

A suspicious Chevy Cavalier parked in the alley between Buddy Walker Furnishings and the Granite Granite store along with a trail of vomit led Officers to a man passed out in the driver’s seat.  An open beer can in the center console.  Eric Ramirez (10-28-78) was found sound asleep with the motor running.  

Officers turned the engine off and attempted to wake up Ramirez.  After some shaking and shouting Ramirez finally woke up.  He appeared to be intoxicated and was administered Standard Field Sobriety Tests and a Breath Test.  Ramirez was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated/Open Container.

Charlie District

Golf Cart Joy Ride Lands Man in Jail

Occurred on 6/8/12, 01:04 a.m.  Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle  5560 S. Padre Island Drive  1206080014 

La Palmera Mall reported one of their maintenance golf carts stolen from the mall.  Officers found the suspect at 5560 S. Padre Island Drive.  Further investigation revealed James Trego (03/05/80) had stolen the golf cart, but left it at a nearby Subway after the front axle broke.   

According to Officers, Trego was lost and trying to find beer.  Trego was positively identified by a mall security  and arrested.  He was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle which is punishable by up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Corpus Christi Police Daily Blotter