Murder Suspect In Custody

Date: Thursday, April 20, 2017, 01:19 AM
Location: 2000 Treyway Lane
Offense: Homicide
Case Number: 1704200013

Corpus Christi Homicide Investigators have advised that Michael Sotelo (05/26/98) is in custody for a murder that occurred last week.

On April 20, 2017 Corpus Christi Police responded to the 2000 block of Treyway Lane for a subject screaming for help.  Officers arrived on scene and located a 23-year-old male with a critical stab wound.

Detectives identified Michael Sotelo as the Offender in this Homicide and obtained an arrest warrant for Sotelo.

The United States Marshal’s Gulf Coast Fugitives and Violent Offenders Task Force located Sotelo and took him into custody earlier this evening.

Police Want Your Help To Identify Robbery Suspect

Date:  03/08/2017
Location:  3928 Leopard
Offense:  Aggravated Robbery / UUMV
Case Number:  1703080019

Corpus Christi Police Detectives want your help to identify an individual accused of an Aggravated Robbery and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, that occurred on March 08, 2017 at approximately 7 a.m. on the 3900 block of Leopard.

An 18-year-old man told Police he was approached by a male who was soliciting money at the Stripes at Lantana and Leopard on March 8, 2017.   The 18-year-old male agreed to transport the suspect to a secondary location to withdraw cash from  an ATM to give to the man.  The 18 year old male told Officers he withdrew and gave the Suspect money, but the suspect displayed a weapon and demanded more money.  The 18-year-old male told Officers he jumped out of the car, and the suspect climbed into the driver’s seat then drove off in the vehicle without the 18-year-old man’s consent.   The 18-year-old male described the male to Police as a black male, about 35-42 years of age, standing 5’06-5’10, weighing between 150-180 pounds, and wore a red in color baseball cap, grey shirt and green shorts at the time of the crime.  Corpus Christi Police Officers recovered the stolen car within the same day of the original crime, but the suspect has not been captured. Detectives would now like help from the public to identify and locate the suspect in this crime.

Detectives have obtained images of the suspect as he approached the 18-year-old man.

If you know the identity of this suspect or have any information about this crime please call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or submit the information online at http://www.888TIPS.com. Information provided to Crime Stoppers  is anonymous and if the information leads to an arrest, it could earn you a cash reward.

Police Want Help from Public to Locate a Fugitive

The Corpus Christi Police would like help from the public to locate a fugitive wanted for several warrants for his arrest. Law Enforcement Officers are searching for 19-year-old Justin Garza (3/17/1997) for several warrants related to narcotics and a warrant for Assault on a Public Servant.

Garza is described as a 19-year-old man who stands 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds, has brown hair, brown eyes, a tattoo of the word “Maria” on his neck, a tattoo of the number 4 on his left wrist and the number “40” by his left thumb. The last known address for Garza was on the 2800 block of Elgin Street.

Justin Garza (3/17/1997)
Is wanted for narcotics possession and for assault on a public servant

If you know how to locate Garza, call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or submit the information online at http://www.888TIPS.com. Information provided to Crime Stoppers is anonymous and if the information leads to an arrest, it could earn you a cash reward.

Corpus Christi Police Officers Receive Body Cams Under DOJ Grant

The last of 130 Body Worn Cameras purchased with a 2015 Department of Justice grant are being deployed to Officers of the Corpus Christi Police Operations Division this week.

The Corpus Christi Police was one of only 73 police departments nationwide to receive funding under the initial DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance grant award in 2015. In 2015, Congress, after urging by the President, appropriated approximately twenty million dollars in grant funding to assist local and state law enforcement agencies with the development of body worn camera programs.  This followed several controversial police/citizen incidents across the nation, including Ferguson, Baltimore, and New York City.  The $250,000 grant awarded to the Corpus Christi Police includes $125,000 in city matching funds.

Prior to receiving the cameras, officers must complete three hours of state mandated training. The training includes information on the functions and proper operation of the camera, department policy, state open records law, the effectiveness of digital video evidence, the limitations of body worn cameras, and privacy considerations when recording.  To pass the course, officers must successfully demonstrate the ability to record a video, and then properly tag and upload the video into the patrol car or desktop computer.  Upon completion of deployment, over one third of the Department’s uniformed officers will be equipped with BWCs.

The new Body Worn Cameras, which will replace the 78 BWCs loaned to Corpus Christi Police by Nueces County under a 2014 Texas Domestic Violence grant, offer several significant advantages to the previous model. Video from the new BWCs can be uploaded directly into the Officer’s patrol car dash cam system, saving officers time at the end of shift and keeping them in the field longer to respond to calls.  The new cameras also have a detachable remote camera to allow officers alternative mounting options, and infra-red lights for better recording performance in low light situations.

Public May Text 911 For Emergency Help In Corpus Christi

Text messages may be sent to 911 in the Corpus Christi area and Nueces County.

MetroCom 911 Program Manager Kathleen Porche said the pubic should  send a text only if a voice call is not possible. Porche said to call 911 if you can, but you can text if you are not able to call. Porche said to text your location and not rely on cell phone locator systems. Porche said to use plain language and do not use slang or acronyms. Porche said the public should not send emojis, group messages, photos, or videos because the system will not work with those features.
If you have an emergency in Corpus Christi, call 911 if you can, text if you can’t.

See the Public Service Announcement:

Man Runs Red Light In Front of Police, Then Arrested For Cocaine Possession

Date: Friday, February 10, 2017, 21:36
Location: Weber Road at South Padre Island Drive
Offense: Possession of a Controlled Substance (Health and Safety Code Section 481.115) 3rd Degree Felony
Case Number: 1702100141

Corpus Christi Police arrested 17-year-old Alaric Flores (12/6/1999) for cocaine possession Friday night after Flores ran a stop light at South Padre Island Drive and Weber.

A Corpus Christi Police Officers saw a blue 2005 Ford F-150 pickup run the red light at Weber and SPID at 9:36pm Friday night, so, the Officer initiated a traffic stop. The Officer discovered the F-150 did not have insurance, the Officer impounded the vehicle. The Officer noticed from the exterior of the vehicle (front windshield) cash inside a plastic bag stuffed in the headliner. The Officer got the bag and discovered it also contained several bags of cocaine. Officers arrested the driver, Alaric Flores (12/6/1999) for possession of a control substance (cocaine) which is a third degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Officers impounded the vehicle and delivered Flores to the city detention center.

Officers discovered 9 tied bags with cocaine, 11 zip top bags with cocaine, and cash in a vehicle driven by a 17 year old man Friday night

Preliminary Investigation Rules Out Hit And Run As Cause For Injury To Man On Agnes Street

Date: Monday, February 6, 2017, 1:19am
Location: Agnes at Navigation
Event: Injured Person
Case Number: 1702060011

Corpus Christi Police Officers with the Traffic Safety Section have preliminarily ruled out that a 32 year old man was injured in a vehicle crash on Agnes Street Monday morning.

Corpus Christi Police responded to a call of an injured man who laid in the middle of Agnes with a very apparent broken leg.  Officers arrived and discovered a 32 year old man was uncooperative with Officers and only stated he was hit by a car and provided no further information.  Officers found there was no debris in the roadway and the 32 year old man did not have any road rash or marks that would indicate that he was struck by a vehicle. The man was taken to the hospital by ambulance for treatment of his injured leg.

Investigators located and reviewed video from the area and believe the man was not struck by a vehicle, but do not yet know how the man was injured.

If you have any additional information about how this man may have been injured, call the Corpus Christi Police at 886-2600.

Girl Reports Stranger Danger in Annaville

Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2017, 8:39am
Location: 3900 Cliff Crenshaw Street
Event: Stranger Danger
Case Number: 1702010041

A 14 year old girl reported a suspicious person today near the old Annaville Elementary.
The 14 year old girl told Officers that yesterday she saw a rusty brown colored pick up truck driven by an older man with a long beard wearing a dirty white shirt who had followed her a short distance as she walked onto Blades St. The 14 year old girl told Officers that she got home safely and no contact was made with this unknown man.
The 14 year old girl told Officers that today at around 8:20 am this same man in the same truck pulled into the parking lot of the old Annaville Elementary school at 3901 Cliff Crenshaw as she waited for her school bus to pick her up. The 14 year old girl told Officers that the driver of this pick up truck watched her through his side view mirrors. The 14 year old girl told Officers that this frightened her and that she called her mother and ran home. The unknown man did not follow her home and has not been identified. The 14 year old girl did not provide more specific information to describe the vehicle.
If you can identify this man, or have any additional information, call Corpus Christi Police right away.

Update Thursday, February 2, 2017 8:51am

A Corpus Christi Police Officer found the vehicle and the man which matched the description in this incident. The Officer met the man at Violet Road at Mulholland at 8:51am on Thursday. The Officer determined no violation happened and the man was released at the scene.

Police Patrol K9 Apprehends Man Accused of Attacking A Corpus Christi Police Officer

Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2017, 11:07am
Location: Broadway Street at Fitzgerald Street
Offense: Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer (Penal Code Section 22.02) 1st Degree Felony
Case Number: 1701310060

A Corpus Christi Police Officer credits his Patrol K9 for the apprehension of a man armed with a machete and de-escalating a deadly force situation Tuesday afternoon at Broadway and Fitzgerald Street.

Corpus Christi Police Officers responded to Broadway Street at Fitzgerald Street to investigate a burglary suspect who was located by the victim of the burglary. A 33-year-old man reported the burglary on January 30, 2017 at the 1400 block of North Mesquite Street. The 33-year-old man told Officers he arrived at his shop and found the burglary suspect in his shop. The 33-year-old man told Officers several items were moved around and the male had a machete that belonged to the shop. The 33-year-old man took a photograph of the suspect who was described as a skinny adult male with black hair and a long beard. The case number for the burglary on Monday is 1701300049. The 33-year-old man told officers he located the suspect in that burglary on Broadway and requested Officers to contact the burglary suspect. 

A Corpus Christi Police Officer and his K9- L-Tvingo attempted to contact 38-year-old Ranuel Bocanegra (11/20/1978), but Bocanegra avoided the Officer and tried to leave in the opposite direction. 

As the Officers and his K9 got closer, Bocanegra opened his jacket to display a full size machete (same one that was stolen the previous day).  The Officer gave commands for Bocanegra to put his hands in the air and not grab the machete. 

Bocanegra ignored all commands given to him by the Officer, then Bocanegra reached to grab the machete. The Officer deployed K9- L-Tvingo as Bocanegra reached for the machete. The K9 L-Tvingo immediately grabbed Bocanegra and provided safety for the Officer to take Bocanegra into custody and avoid a deadly force situation.

Corpus Christi Police medics tended to Bocanegra and then transported him to the hospital for further medical attention.  Bocanegra was released from the hospital and delivered to the city detention center.

Bocanegra was arrested for Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer (1st degree felony), Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (3rd degree felony), Fail to Identify as a Fugitive (Class A misdemeanor), Theft (Class B misdemeanor), and for two warrants for his arrest.

 

Police Enforce Park Curfew Discover Couple With Contraband

Date: Monday, January 30, 2017, 2:56am
Location: 300 Beach Avenue
Offense: Possession of Controlled Substance (Health and Safety Code Section 481.115) 2nd Degree Felony
Case Number: 1701300016

Corpus Christi Police arrested two people for possession of a variety of illegal narcotics Monday morning in a city park after the Officer met the couple for violating the park curfew.

The Officer detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle as he approached the couple while the couple sat in a red 2009 Ford Escape at just before 3am at 300 Beach Avenue on North Beach. The city park has a curfew from midnight to 6am daily. The Officer introduced himself to 31 year old Raul Cedillo (3/24/1985) and the passenger, 33 year old Crystal Perez (9/24/1983). The Officer saw two marijuana cigarettes in the center console and a bottle of Alprazolam pills in the passenger area of the vehicle. The Officer arrested Cedillo and Perez for possession of marijuana and controlled substances, then conducted an inventory of the vehicle for the impound and discovered a bag in the trunk which contained 35 individually wrapped bags of marijuana, more Alprazolam pills, and a quantity of what the Officer believes is methamphetamine with a weight over 1 gram.

The Officer impounded the vehicle and delivered Cedillo and Perez to the city detention center.

Officers collected evidence they believe is Marijuana in packages, Alprazolam pills, and a quantity of methamphetamine with a weight over 1 gram while enforcing a park curfew.