A San Marcos Police Department Officer has been placed on administrative leave, following an arrest that led to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainment. Officer Jaciel Cortina was placed on administrative leave on April 10, while an internal investigation determines if any further action will be taken, according to a spokesperson for SMPD.
On March 14, 17-year-old Esteban Victor Reyes was pulled over by San Marcos Police after an emergency call said a 15-year-old attempted to leave her residence with an older male in a truck that matched his vehicle’s description, according to previous reporting by the Daily Record. Gerardo Reyes Gonzalez was a passenger in the vehicle with his son.
Video of the incident shared on social media showed that the police told Reyes to exit the vehicle, but he did not. The police then attempt to pull him from the vehicle while Gonzalez grabs onto his son’s arm, attempting to keep him in the truck.
Gonzalez and his son were booked into the Hays County Jail and charged with Interfering with Public Duties. The son was released, but Gonzalez is now being detained by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. A spokesperson for SMPD said that upon further investigation, the 15-year-old had never left her residence.
Local activist groups allege that the officer’s sworn statement did not match the video posted online and are calling for the unredacted release of body cam footage worn by all officers on scene.
“Advocates say this contradiction raises serious concerns about the integrity of the arrest and the use of false statements to justify criminal charges,” Mano Amiga, a local activist organization, stated in a press release.
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