Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Diane Medina has been nominated for this year’s 100 Club “Rookie of the Year” award for the actions she took while in Field Training. Deputy Medina and her Field Training Officer, Deputy Ronnie Bunch, came under heavy fire from a juvenile suspect who discharged several shotgun blasts at both deputies.

On Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at approximately 04:50 hours, Deputy Ronnie Bunch and his Probationary Patrol Deputy, Diane Medina, responded to the 17000 block of Davenway Drive in reference to a drive-by shooting. While Deputy Bunch and Deputy Medina were talking to the complainant, the suspect was observed driving down the street. Deputy Bunch and Deputy Medina pursued the suspect, who fled the scene. After a short pursuit the suspect crashed his vehicle. As Deputy Bunch exited his patrol car, the suspect got out of his vehicle and fired several shotgun blasts at the deputies, during which Deputy Bunch sustained a non-lethal gunshot wound and was unable to return fire.

Deputy Medina immediately assessed the potentially dire situation, and while in a serious life-threatening situation herself, bravely took the initiative and steadfastly held her ground, engaging the assailant and providing essential defense for Deputy Bunch to move out of the line of fire. The suspect managed to flee under the exchange of gunfire, but was apprehended later that morning.

Deputy Medina’s quick, decisive and courageous actions-under-gunfire is a testament to her professionalism and worthy of consideration for the 100 Club’s 2009 “Rookie of the Year” award. Deputy Medina is a credit to all law enforcement officers, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Harris County.

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

On July 1st, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies at the Clay Road Substation were treated to hamburgers and hot dogs prepared by representatives of the Harris County Deputies Organization. The gratis lunch was offered in appreciation of their service to Harris County. Deputy Dan McCool was the man behind the grill braving the already intense heat of the record heat wave we are experiencing. The Organization plans to make stops at facilities throughout Harris County.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Eighteen area children took part in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class for children at the Bear Creek Community Center last week.

Children between 8-10 years of age learned valuable self-defense techniques during the class. This was the first R.A.D. Kids class held this summer and the response was tremendous. A R.A.D. Kids class meets for five days, lasts two hours each day and includes age sensitive material and techniques.

The instructors, Deputies D. Esquivel, D. Johnson and E. Frederick with the assistance of Deputy G. Allen and Deputy K. Ellis, taught the students about strangers, both good and bad, and stranger danger. This is often the first time a child learns that there are instances when they not only can, but should say “no” to an adult. They also learn what constitutes an emergency and when and how to make a 911 call on a cell phone, a home phone or a pay phone. At the end of the class the students are given the opportunity to use what they learned in a safe, controlled exercise.

To register for future R.A.D classes, contact Deputy Dolores Esquivel at 281-564-5988. The class is offered free of charge by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Patrol District IV has a new leader at the helm. Captain Lanny K. Hitchcock has joined our staff. This is a homecoming of sorts as he was assigned to District 4 earlier in his career. His predecessor, Captain Mark Wrobleski has been assigned to the Community Support Bureau, Community Services Division.

Captain Hitchcock joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 1981 and was assigned to the Detention Bureau. In 1984 he transferred to the Patrol Bureau where he was assigned to District IV. In 1987 he was promoted to the rank of Corporal and remained in District IV until 1990 when he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the Detention Bureau. He transferred to the Detective Bureau where he was assigned to Criminal Warrants and Auto Theft. In 1996 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and transferred to the Detective Bureau and returned to Auto Theft. In 2000 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and was assigned to the Detention Bureau. In 2003 Captain Hitchcock was transferred to the Patrol Bureau, District I, where he remained until his assignment to District IV.

Captain Hitchcock holds a Master Peace Officer’s License, a TCLEOSE Instructor’s License and is a graduate of the 195th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy. He and wife Dawn have a son, Jeremy, who works for the Sheriff’s Office and daughter Michelle who attends college. He also has two grandchildren, Kaethe and Joshua. When he is not working Captain Hitchcock enjoys family time, boating, bird hunting and working with his dogs Knots and Miles.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

For the first time, the Asian Chamber of Commerce has chosen to recognize an “Officer of the Year”. Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Don Ta was named the “2008 Asian Officer of the Year” by the Asian Chamber of Commerce and Target Stores for the actions he took on September 9, 2008.

Deputy Ta responded to a residence in the 3000 block of Williams Cr. in reference to an unknown medical emergency. The caller stated that while her husband and son had been playing in the family pool her husband hit his head and he and the toddler were not breathing when they were discovered.

When Deputy Ta arrived at the home, he found the reportee sitting on the floor next to the small lifeless body of her 3 year old son. Deputy Ta was able to ascertain from the despondent woman that her husband and son had drowned in the family pool. Deputy Ta learned that a neighbor had already pulled her husband from the pool and was staying with him until help arrived. Without hesitation, Deputy Ta requested Emergency Medical Services and advised Harris County Communication he was starting C.P.R on the toddler.

Deputy Ta continued with his C.P.R. efforts until E.M.S. arrived. E.M.S. personnel instructed Deputy Ta to continue C.P.R. while they placed a heart monitor on the small child and contacted life flight. Deputy Ta personally carried the child to an ambulance which transported the child to a landing zone where Life-flight met them and transported the child to Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Despite the efforts of medical personnel the woman’s husband did not survive, and sadly later that afternoon, Deputy Ta learned that the toddler he had tried so hard to save had also lost his battle for life.

Deputy Ta's actions are a testament to his professionalism and commitment to the community he has sworn to serve making him deserving of this recognition.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Although the effects of Hurricane Ike were still obvious in neighborhoods around Harris County, neighbors still found the time to participate in the 25th National Night Out. Thanks to the later date for of this year’s event, the weather could not have been more perfect. There were block parties and neighborhood parties alike. It was not the size of the party that was important however, it was that neighbors came out in record numbers to meet each other and to meet area law enforcement officers as well as those from other emergency services. It was an opportunity to discuss issues that were of concern to the neighborhood, to meet the deputies who patrol their neighborhoods and to meet new neighbors.

Linda DeVito with the Westlake Home Owners Association offered “gourmet” hot dogs and a pool party, while Ted Richards organized a neighborhood get-together at the Cypress Meadows Subdivision’s Community Pool where they served hot dogs, cold drinks and popcorn. It was truly a success as so many more events like these took place around our County.

The Sheriff’s Office was well represented as Sheriff Tommy Thomas encouraged all personnel, to include Deputies from Crime Prevention, the Community Services Division, Mounted Patrol and the Junior Mounted Posse to participate with an ample supply of gun locks, brochures and badge-stickers to give away while talking with citizens about the array of programs the Sheriff’s Office offers to the public free of charge. As always, we look forward to doing it again next year.


Pictured: Dep. M. Moore, Sgt. T. Smerinsky, Steve and Linda Devito, Deputy J. Brown, Deputy P. Brown


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, I would like to personally thank you for your unselfish service. Once again in a time of crisis and disaster you have performed above and beyond for the citizens of Harris County. I realize that you had to leave your loved ones and homes, to fulfill the mission of the Sheriff’s Office. I know the hours were long and the conditions were sometimes harsh, but you rose to the occasion. I am very proud to have served with you throughout this great effort.


Sincerely,

Paul S. Cordova, Captain
District IV, Patrol Bureau

District IV Commander Paul Cordova holds roll call to address the troops after the storm and to commend them for a job well done.




Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Class #26 of the Harris County Sheriff’s Citizens Police Academy (CPA) is officially under way. Twenty-four students began the thirteen week program designed to give participants a working knowledge of the Sheriff’s Office. Participants will learn about many areas of law enforcement responsibility including gang awareness, Texas Penal Code and anti-terrorism. The program consists of a series of interactive classes demonstrating police procedure and protocol. One night will be dedicated to controlled exercises where the students will participate in scenarios representing some of the situations peace officer encounter on a regular basis.
Sheriff Thomas feels the CPA plays a vital role in reducing crime by improving communication with citizens through local input and support. He has said that “it is our hope that the graduates will become partners with us in identifying problems and solutions to the crime issues that are affecting our county.” Graduates will gain knowledge they can implement to enhance the quality of life in their respective neighborhoods.
Sheriff Thomas offers this class free of charge to the citizens of Harris County.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas and the folks from Shred-It joined forces in the war against identity theft in District IV at George Bush Park Saturday, August 16. Because identity theft is one of the fastest growing and costliest crimes in the nation, Sheriff Thomas and Shred-It offer this service free of charge to the citizens of Harris County. It is designed to raise the public’s awareness and hopefully prevent the possibility of them becoming victims of this crime. Despite the weather, vehicles lined up early with old tax records, old medical records and other personal documents to be shredded. During the four hour event a total of 169 vehicles brought over 6,000 pounds of paper. With the invaluable assistance of Boy Scout Troop 500, deputies unloaded up to five “bankers” boxes from each vehicle.

The next opportunity to have your documents shredded will be at the District I Substation located at 6831 Cypresswood on October 18, 2008.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Deputy Willie Thornton was presented an award for twenty five years of service by Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas. Willie began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in December of 1982 and has been assigned to District IV since May of 1985.


Pictured: Sheriff Tommy Thomas and Willie Thornton


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

District IV Deputy Mark Bova was presented with an award for twenty-five years of service from Sheriff Tommy Thomas. Mark has been with the Sheriff’s Office since October of 1982 and has been assigned to District IV since June of 1997.



Pictured are: Sheriff Tommy Thomas and Deputy Mark Bova


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Three District IV Deputies were recognized at the Annual 100 Club Awards Banquet on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. Deputies Huey Townley, Matthew Moore and Javier Urena were recognized as Officer of the Year for 2007 for their professionalism, dedication to duty and dedication to the citizens of Harris County. Pictured from left to right are: Deputy Huey Townley, Deputy Matthew Moore, Sheriff Tommy Thomas and Javier Unena.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Children today are faced with more choices than ever before and many of the choices will have lasting effects on their lives, both good and bad. Fortunately, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has six new graduates of the Texas D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Institute. The Deputies who teach this highly acclaimed program give kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence. The D.A.R.E. curriculum is designed to be taught by police officers whose training and experience has given them the background needed to answer the complicated questions often posed by young students about drugs and crime. As a result of this program, the lines of communication are opened between law enforcement and youth, as well as between schools, and parents who gain a new perspective in dealing with a broad range of issues affecting virtually all young people. Completing this training is challenging and is described by some as the toughest training they ever encountered, but at the same time, it is the most rewarding.
Sheriff Thomas strongly supports community oriented programs, and as an internationally recognized model of community policing, he is committed to ensuring D.A.R.E. is offered at no charge to the young citizens of Harris County.
The program is presented through Texas State University, Center for Safe Communities and Schools whose precept is “Creating a safe Texas- one person, one community at a time”.

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Captain Paul Cordova was presented an award for 25 years of service by Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas. Captain Cordova began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1982. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2003 and a short time later was assigned to the Patrol Bureau. Captain Cordova has been the District IV Commander since 2006.

Pictured are:
Captain Paul Cordova and Sheriff Tommy Thomas


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Sergeant Ray O’Bannion has retired after 20 years of service with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. He began his career as a Detention Officer on February 28, 1987. Two years later he attended the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy. After graduation he was transferred to the Patrol Bureau and was assigned to District II. He remained in District II until the formation of the Hot Spots Unit where he was one of fifteen Deputies who were utilized as a proactive unit, concentrating their efforts in high crime areas throughout the County. Sgt. O’Bannon’s next assignment was to the Courts Division where he was a Bailiff in Judge Ted Poe’s Court, among others. He was later promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the 701 Jail, where he remained until he was transferred to the Patrol Bureau. He was assigned to District I for a short time before being transferred to District IV, where he remained until his retirement last week.
Sgt. O’Bannon’s leadership, reliability and dependability have been a blessing to us all and though we wish him well, we are sad to see him go.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

On Thursday, February 21, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Craig Miller was involved in a tragic and fatal car accident. While his loss is deeply felt by his immediate family, it is also felt by his Law Enforcement Family. Peace officers deal with their emotions in many different ways, but one of the more common ways when coping with grief is congregating and talking with fellow officers and friends. Unexpected, though not surprising, the District IV Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni (CPAA) thoughtfully provided such an opportunity by bringing food and drinks to Craig Miller’s family, the Clay Road Substation, the Franz Road Storefront and the District V Substation. As a result, deputies were able to stop by locations in their patrol district as schedules allowed, and together deal with the loss of a fallen comrade. CPA member Jeri Esmi took food to Craig Miller’s family on the behalf of herself and her son, Harris County Sheriff’s Sergeant Don McCall. CPA members were represented at Deputy Miller’s Funeral by Annette Baldwin, Linda DeVito and Markey Swails. Annette Baldwin expressed the level of the CPA Alumni’s commitment best with this statement: “We stand ready to reach out to the Miller family throughout the next year in order to ease their transition into life without Craig. It is a sad time for each of us when we lose a Deputy to death, especially one who is so young, vibrant and filled with life and promise.” The CPA Alumni is comprised of citizens who have taken their own time to complete a civilian version of the Sheriff’s Academy. They serve as a support group to the Sheriff’s Office and to the Deputies who are assigned to the areas where they live. As they always have throughout the years, the District IV CPA Alumni showed their commitment once again during this difficult time, and as always their considerate efforts were greatly appreciated by all. Our special thanks go out to CPA Alumni representatives Annette Baldwin, Linda DeVito, Patti Hill, Jeri Esmi and Markey Swails.

Pictured are: Annette Baldwin, Patti Hill and Linda DeVito


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

A lively group of five to seven year olds are among the newest Rape Aggression Defense class graduates. During the week long class, the students learned about the three main principles of RAD Kids: No one has the right to hurt you, you don’t have the right to hurt anyone unless they are hurting you and it’s not your fault. They also learn about “stranger danger”, what constitutes an emergency and how to call 911 in case of an emergency. The last night of class the students have the opportunity to use what they learned in scenarios that are conducted in a safe, controlled environment.
Sheriff Thomas has offered RAD classes to both children and women, free of charge, for over ten years. The RAD program is only one of the many programs offered to the public.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

After 20 years of dedicated service, District IV Sergeant Alford Cook has retired. He began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1988, as a reserve Deputy and remained there for six years. During that time he joined the Marine Division and became a rescue diver. His first assignment as a full time Deputy was at the Detention Center on Atascocita Road. He later worked in Vice and Money Laundering before transferring to the Patrol Division as a Sergeant. He was a District Supervisor in District III until, at the request of Captain Susan Nixon, he created the Burglary Apprehension Response Unit (BARS). This specialized unit was able to concentrate on burglaries and spent countless hours following each lead and interviewing suspects. The work he and his unit did warranted a Unit Citation, from Sheriff Tommy Thomas. Also in District III Sergeant Cook received a 100 Club Award for preventing a suicide attempt by an armed suspect. Sergeant Cook transferred to District IV and built the BARS unit there. Under his command, the District IV BARS Unit surpassed even Sergeant Cook’s expectations in the number of cases his Deputies investigated and closed. The common thread between the testimonials offered by those in attendance was the knowledge each had gained while working with and for Sergeant Cook. While we wish him well, in what ever he chooses to do, he will be greatly missed.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

District IV Deputy Larry Smith was presented an award for twenty five years of service by Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas. Larry began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in September of 1983 and has been assigned to District IV since February of 1992.

Pictured are: Deputy Larry Smith and Sheriff Tommy Thomas.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

On November 21, District IV Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni(CPA) members brought Thanksgiving lunch to the Clay Road Substation. Linda DeVito, Jeri Esme, and Timothy Benz graciously brought enough food to feed the entire district. Deputies stopped by throughout the day, taking time to enjoy the goodies that had been provided for them. This gave the Deputies a chance to meet the C.P.A. members and the opportunity to thank them personally.

Pictured are: Susan Perkins, Capt. Paul Cordova, CPA members Linda DeVito, Timothy Benz and Jeri Emse.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

The District IV Supervisors have named Deputy Matthew Moore Deputy of the Month for November, 2007, for the action he took on Monday, December 3, 2007. Deputy Moore saw a vehicle traveling westbound in the 19000 Block of Saums Road at a high rate of speed. Deputy Moore attempted to initiate a traffic stop, utilizing his emergency equipment, however the suspect refused to stop. A brief chase ensued and the suspect was forced to exit his vehicle at a closed entry gate to an apartment complex. Deputy Moore pursued the suspect, on foot, through the complex and was able to apprehend him without incident. Immediately following the suspects arrest, Deputy Moore learned that there had been a robbery / purse snatching at the Hobby Lobby Store, located at 1787 North Fry Road. The suspect and vehicle description matched that of the person that Deputy Moore had in custody. The suspect was brought back to the scene of the robbery and positively identified by the complainant and witnesses. It was later discovered that the suspect was a convicted felon.

This situation was brought to a safe conclusion by Deputy Moore, resulting in the apprehension of a robbery suspect and the stolen property returned to the victim.
Deputy Moore’s actions are a testament of his professionalism and indicative of his dedication to duty.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

On November 27, during a special roll call meeting, Andrea Schmauss, MADD Regional Council Leadership Chair, presented Deputy Kirby Burton with a Certificate of Appreciation for his diligence and dedication to removing drunk drivers from the streets of Harris County. Also, in attendance representing MADD were Annette Baldwin and Evon McConica. Deputies were given information about the many programs sponsored by MADD designed to help law enforcement in the battle against drunk driving. When Deputy Burton accepted the award, he expressed his appreciation for the recognition but wanted to acknowledge that this was the result of a team effort and that he was accepting the award on behalf of himself and his co-workers.

Deputy Burton has demonstrated his dedication and commitment to the safety of the citizens of Harris County and has proved himself worthy of this recognition. He has been responsible for seventy-five DWI arrests, so far, this year and was responsible for seventy last year.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies, assigned to the Community Services Division, held a car safety seat event at the Katy area Babies R Us this week. This event is one of many that will be offered at Babies R Us stores around Harris County, free of charge. The Deputies will demonstrate the correct way to install new or existing car safety seats.

For future dates and times, contact the Babies R Us in your area.

Pictured: Deputy D. Esquivel watching to make sure the “baby” is secured in the car seat correctly.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

The Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce has named Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Huey Townley, Officer of the Month for November. Deputy Townley was recognized for the lifesaving actions he took in March, of 2007, when he rescued an unconscious female from a submerged vehicle in a community lake at the Lakes of Eldridge Subdivision. Deputy Townley acted without regard for his own safety in what he knew was a life threatening situation. Due to his actions, the female not only survived the incident, but was released from the hospital the next day. Deputy Townley’s actions are a testament to his professionalism and present a positive image to the department and the community he has chosen to serve.

Pictured are: Sergeant Alford Cook, Deputy Huey Townley, Captain Paul Cordova and Reverend Justin Lindstrom, President of the Cy- Fair Rotary Club.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has long been an advocate of car seat safety. This is evident in the fact that Sheriff Thomas ensures that Deputies assigned to the Community Services Division are trained and certified to correctly install car safety seats. Now, through a partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and local Babies R Us Stores, it is easier than ever to ensure your child is riding safely in your vehicle. The first Tuesday of each month Deputies will be at designated Babies R Us locations between 10am and 2pm to help you with the correct installation of a new car seat or inspection of your child’s existing car seat. This program is offered to the public, free of charge.

Call the Babies R Us Store in your area for future dates.

The kind folks at GMAC sponsored a teddy bear round-up in October and presented the furry critters to Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies Dolores Esquivel and Adell Cross, both of whom are assigned to Sheriff Tommy Thomas’ Community Service Division. The round-up was planned by The Quality Committee, which is comprised of eight people within the office who research and select several community projects to participate in each year. The bears the employees contributed will be made available to Deputies to use when they respond to scenes where there are children involved. The bears are used to help comfort a child who is involved in a traumatic situation.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the employees of GMAC for their thoughtful contribution.

Pictured are Deputy A. Cross, Deputy Dolores Esquivel and committee members: Gayle Hennessy, Janette Bray, Jeff Kimmel, Geanna Chisholm, Shannon Waggy, Danielle Perry, Jan Waye and Lindsey Chapman.

On October 17, 2007, Deputy Javier Urena was named Officer of the Month by ASIS International at a luncheon held in his honor. He was recognized for the actions he took on July 21, 2007, while off duty, at his residence, when he responded to what he believed to be a burglary of a vehicle in progress.
On Saturday morning, July 21, 2007, Deputy Urena was off-duty at home in his apartment complex when he stepped outside to get an item from his patrol car. He heard the sound of glass breakage and saw a suspect run from a burglarized vehicle. The suspect jumped into another vehicle and sped out of sight. Deputy Urena then heard a loud crash and the sound of a woman screaming. He immediately retrieved his duty weapon and drove the patrol car toward the front exit gate, believing he could get a description of the suspect’s vehicle before he was able to escape.
In the hurried effort to get away, the suspect had wrecked his vehicle and was stalled inside the apartment complex. When Deputy Urena located the wreck and found the suspect, he attempted to make an arrest. The suspect resisted and a struggle began. Two civilian witnesses came to his aid and held the suspect on the ground. Deputy Urena then turned to unlock his trunk to get handcuffs when he heard someone yell “Look out! He has a gun!” A second suspect had approached Deputy Urena from behind, with a gun drawn, and fired an execution style shot at his head, just barely missing him.
Upon hearing the civilian yell, Deputy Urena’s immediate response was to lean to his right, at which time he heard the gun shot and felt severe pain in his left ear. Realizing he was fighting for his life, he turned toward the suspect and swung the handcuffs striking the suspect on the left side of the face as the suspect fired a second shot. Deputy Urena was then able to pull his duty weapon and fire two quick shots while the suspect repositioned and pointed his gun at Deputy Urena’s head. Deputy Urena’s reaction was to fall backwards toward the ground as the suspect fired a third shot. Deputy Urena’s quick thinking and immediate response resulted, ultimately, in saving his own life. Deputy Urena’s fall had caused him to strike the back of his head against the concrete. He was bleeding and in pain and felt as if he had been shot. He was unable to chase the suspects, who managed to escape. Deputy Urena suffered powder burns and stippling to the left side of his face and upper body. His left ear drum was torn, his head was cut, and his lower back was in pain, but otherwise survived the attempt to take his life.
Both suspects were later captured as a result of follow up investigation efforts. The suspect who had fired the shots was found to have been shot twice by Deputy Urena, once in his right leg and once in his abdomen. He was charged with Attempt to Commit Capital Murder-Police Officer. The original suspect who Deputy Urena pursued was charged with Burglary of Motor Vehicle, Evading Arrest, and Escape.

Deputy Urena demonstrated his commitment to the safety of the community he has sworn to serve and is commended for his dedication to duty.



Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison

The ladies of the Bear Creek Community Center took their personal safety seriously and completed a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) Class recently. The five day class included four days of learning and practicing self defense techniques. On the last day they were afforded the opportunity to use what they learned in controlled exercises that simulated some of the situations women are most likely to encounter.

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas has offered a self defense classes to the women of Harris County for over ten years, free of charge.

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Saturday, August 18, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas, Shred it and Deputies from the Community Services Section teamed up to help combat identity theft at the Clay Road Substation. Sheriff Thomas’ proactive stance to thwart identity theft offered a safe, secure way to dispose of old tax records, bank statements, medical records and other personal documents. Identity Theft is one of the fastest growing and most costly crimes plaguing the country today. Texas ranked fourth in the number of reported cases of Identity Theft in 2004. There was over a ton of paper shredded during this event.

The next Shred it event will be on October 27, at the Cypresswood Substation located at 6831 Cypresswood Drive. For questions about this event please call the Community Services Section at 713-759-9454.

Pictured are District IV Community Services Deputies and Shred-it staff.

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Sheriff Tommy Thomas extended an invitation to his Harris County neighbors to participate in National Night Out and that is just what they did. The 24th annual National Night Out was bigger and better than ever. There were block parties, and parties for the entire neighborhood. It was not the size of the party that was important though, it was that neighbors came out in record numbers to meet each other and to meet area law enforcement officers. It was an opportunity to discuss issues that were of concern to the neighborhood, to meet the deputies who patrol their neighborhoods and to meet new neighbors.

Linda DeVito with the Westlake Home Owners Association offered “gourmet” hot dogs and a pool party. Ted Richards organized a neighborhood get together at the Cypress Meadows Subdivision Community Pool where they served hot dogs, cold drinks and popcorn. Jeri McCall-Esmi with the Westgreen Home Owners Association had a crowd at the pool with some of the best barbeque around, a singer and a karaoke contest. The Westgreen Home Owners Association presented the K9 deputies with a check to help defray the expense of ballistic vests for their K-9 partners.

The Sheriff’s Office was well represented by Deputies from Crime Prevention, Community Services Division, Junior Mounted Posse, K-9, and the Emergency Response Team. Crime prevention had an ample supply of gun locks to offer free of charge as well as brochures explaining the many programs Sheriff Thomas offers to the public, also free of charge.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

On June 4, 2007, at 7:59 PM, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Moore was sent to a residence in the 2600 Block of Hollymist Drive. He had been told there was a two month old child at the residence who was not breathing. He arrived within three minutes of receiving the call and found the child lying on his back on the floor. Since emergency personnel had not yet arrived, Deputy Moore immediately began to perform CPR on the infant. When Deputy Moore was told an ambulance had arrived he ran outside with the child and handed him to EMS personnel. He was told the child had begun breathing and within five minutes he was responsive and crying loudly. It was later learned that the infant’s mother had given him a bottle of milk and it is believed that he choked on the milk. When family members had been unable to help the child, they called for help.

The immediate response of Deputy Moore and his ability to perform lifesaving CPR averted what could have been a terrible tragedy. Deputy Moore said that when he first arrived at the scene the family was already preparing for the worst. He felt he had to try to do something to help this child. He said he had taken CPR training at the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy just before the birth of his own child and had paid particular attention to the segment about CPR for infants. Deputy Moore said his training “kicked in” and he knew what he needed to do. Sheriff Tommy Thomas believes in the importance of CPR training as it is part of the required curriculum taught at the Academy.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Deputies David Papa, Jeurel Sims and Norman Fitts received commendations from Sheriff Tommy Thomas for the actions they took on December 5, 2006, at 2AM, when they responded to the report of two suspicious persons in the 6400 Block of Modesto Drive. Deputy Papa was told that there were two male suspects walking through the neighborhood, attempting to burglarize cars. He was also told that there was a vehicle parked on the street that was believed to belong to one of the suspects. When Deputy Papa arrived he located the vehicle but was unable to locate any suspects. The suspects did not return to the vehicle, and after searching the neighborhood for forty minutes, the deputies returned to service.
Deputy Papa, determined to find the suspects, returned to the neighborhood at 4:15 AM. Minutes after he arrived, he saw the suspect vehicle back out of a driveway and park in front of another residence. He conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and spoke to the sole occupant who offered conflicting stories to explain his presence in the neighborhood. Deputy Papa called for additional deputies and detained the suspect. As he was conducting his investigation, he heard the sound of glass breaking, people screaming, and saw several people running from a residence next to his location. Deputies Norman Fitts and Jeurel Sims arrived to assist Deputy Papa. It was determined that they had interrupted a home invasion. While Deputy Sims remained with the first suspect, Deputies Papa, and Fitts, with no regard for their own safety, went in the backyard of the residence to prevent the escape of other suspects who might still be inside. Within minutes, a second suspect came out of the residence. When the suspect saw the deputies he began shooting in their direction. The deputies exchanged gunfire with the suspect but he was able to jump the fence and flee the scene. Both deputies narrowly escaped serious injury.
The investigation revealed that the suspect in the vehicle, along with two other suspects had just robbed the residence and had seriously injured one man in order to obtain his bank card PIN number. Detectives were able to link these suspects to numerous home invasions in Harris and Fort Bend Counties and in the City of Houston. The suspect who fired at Deputy Papa was apprehended later that day.
Due to Deputy Papa, Deputy Sims and Deputy Fitts’s diligence and tenacious pursuit of justice, two dangerous felons were taken off the streets of Harris County, making it a safer place to live. They have proven themselves worthy of this recognition because of their attention to detail and dedication to duty as they serve to protect the citizens of Harris County.

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Deputy Rick Hutson has retired after 23 years of service with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. From the time Rick began his career with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in September of 1984, his supervisors have used terms like diligent, enthusiastic, conscientious, professional, self motivated and seasoned when evaluating his performance. His reputation as a consummate professional is well earned as is the respect of his peers. Prior to his retirement he was responsible for mapping new streets and neighborhoods as well as new contracts as they were developed in his patrol district. This was no easy feat since District IV is one of the fastest growing areas in Harris County. This information is used to dispatch calls for service and to define the District IV area. Rick did this in addition to his regular duties.
For the past six months Rick has been engaged in a battle, fighting his way back from a catastrophic motorcycle accident. Rick is making remarkable progress in his recovery and should be able to return home soon. While we have only the best of wishes for Rick on his retirement, he will be missed by all of his District IV family.

Pictured are Major Terry Enloe and Captain Paul Cordova presenting Rick with his retirement badge and identification.

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

On May 2, 2007, in conjunction with National Dog Week, Harris County Officials dedicated a 35 acre Dog Park within the Congressman Bill Archer Park. Precinct Three Commissioner Steve Radack, Precinct Three Parks Supervisor Steve Dorman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Manager Richard Long and Dr. Dawn Blackmar, Veterinary Public Health Director, participated in the ceremony. Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas was represented by District IV Captain Paul Cordova. The park,located on State Hwy 6 across from Bear Creek Park, provides 17 acres of open space for off leash activities, a 14 acre enclosure for large dogs and a 3 acre enclosure for small dogs. Within the enclosures there is size appropriate playground equipment and “dog biscuit” shaped lakes for cooling off after a workout. There are drinking fountains for people and dogs as well. Amenities include abundant shade trees, shade canopies, over a mile of walking trails and park benches. It was difficult to determine who enjoyed the park more, the four legged friends or their owners.

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison


Pictured:
District IV Captain Paul Cordova and newly appointed Precinct V Constable, Phil Camus.

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas has offered a self defense classes to the women of Harris County for over ten years, free of charge. A group of ladies from the Katy area joined the ever growing numbers of RAD graduates last night. The class of twenty-four attended five nights of classes held at the American Kids Academy. Four nights were spent learning and practicing self defense techniques. The last night they were afforded the opportunity to use what they learned in controlled exercises that simulated some of the situations women are most likely to encounter.

Pictured are: Deputy Paul Brown and Deputy Dolores Ecquivel

Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison, District IV

When Rhonda Momon, with Alief FamilyYMCA, called the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Community Services Storefront in Mission Bend to invite Deputy D. Esquivel to come pick up some stuffed animals she had collected from members, Deputy Esquivel had no idea what she would find when she got there. Ms. Momon had collected close to 200 stuffed animals in all shapes, sizes and colors. There were bears, rabbits, pigs, a lion and even a pony. These stuffed animals are made available to deputies to keep in their patrol cars to give to children who may have been involved in car accidents or other situation children may find frightening or stressful.

Pictured are: Deputy D. Esquivel, Rhonda Momon, Leo Lopez


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison, District IV

On March 1, 2007, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Huey Townley responded to a call concerning a vehicle that had driven into a community lake in the Lakes of Eldridge Subdivision. Within minutes of receiving the call Deputy Townley arrived at the scene. Witnesses told him they saw a female driver who had apparently lost control of her vehicle, plunged into the lake and was submerged in nine to ten feet of water. Deputy Townley saw two citizens standing in what appeared to be waist deep water about fifty feet from the shore. He quickly realized they were, in fact, standing on the roof of the vehicle. Deputy Townley used a small boat to reach the submerged vehicle. Once he located the driver’s side door he took a deep breath and entered the murky water. He was able to find the female driver’s body and free her from the vehicle. When he brought her to the surface she was unconscious. With the assistance of the two citizens he was able to hoist her into the boat and take her to the shore. Fortunately, when he reached the shore, Cy-Fair EMS was waiting and immediately began lifesaving efforts. She was transported to an area hospital in critical condition but has since recovered and has been released. Deputy Townley said “I felt a lot of fear that we wouldn’t get her out in time. It seemed like it took forever. ” He also added, “ I am certainly glad my parents made sure I learned how to swim”.

Deputy Townley acted without hesitation and with no regard for his own safety to aid the driver in what he knew to be a life threatening situation. The two citizens who assisted Deputy Townley in this heroic effort are also to be commended for their actions. Deputy Townley’s actions are a testament to his professionalism and commitment to the community he has sworn to serve.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison, District IV

Area community activist Annette Baldwin, a tireless advocate of law enforcement, has been selected to receive the Crime Stoppers Leiv Platou Award. Mrs. Baldwin is an enthusiastic supporter of the community and law enforcement. She has volunteered countless hours in the effort to lower crime in the West portion of unincorporated Harris County.

Mrs. Baldwin was instrumental in initiating the crime watch program in the Westlake/Westlake Forest subdivision in the early 1990s. Her efforts led to the subdivision participating in Sheriff Thomas’ Contract Deputy Program. She then turned her attention to the creation of F.R.A.N.C.O. (Fry Road Area and Neighboring Communities Organization) in 1994. F.R.A.N.C.O. held meetings with the Sheriff’s Office, surrounding subdivisions and community leaders with the goal of increasing the number of Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies in the West section of Harris County and throughout unincorporated Harris County. Mrs. Baldwin has taken her concerns to Commissioner’s Court and the State Legislature, speaking to both about the need to increase funding for the Sheriff’s Office.

Mrs. Baldwin has conducted numerous presentations to subdivision board members and business leaders concerning crime and the steps that could be taken to help support local law enforcement. She has worked to establish an active list of citizens, community leaders, business owners and subdivision board members for the Sheriff’s Office Interactive Group and attends meetings regularly. Mrs. Baldwin encouraged District IV to become more aggressive in the enforcement of nuisance abatement laws to deal with junk vehicles and abandoned houses that were being used for illegal activity. What started as a suggestion has resulted in over 120 junked vehicles being either removed or brought in compliance with State Law.

Mrs. Baldwin helped build the first web site for District IV, which was utilized until the Sheriff’s Office established a web site for all patrol districts. She assisted the Sheriff’s Office in creating a video presentation to help explain to the citizens of Harris County the different functions and divisions within the Sheriff’s Office and how each operates. When the patrol Districts established a media deputy for the districts, Mrs. Baldwin again offered her assistance and worked closely with these deputies to help them understand how articles should be written to ensure that they are published. She has helped the District IV media deputy establish contacts with the local news papers. Mrs. Baldwin is still writing letters, making telephone calls and visiting with elected officials on the county and state level to promote a safer community.

Mrs. Baldwin worked on the committee that helped establish the Katy Christian Ministries Domestic Violence Program. She attended Sheriff Thomas’ Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class and has actively promoted the R.A.D. program to civic associations, organizations, subdivisions and business clubs. She was involved in Sheriff Thomas’ KOPS program helping deputies recruit children, involving parents and even aided the deputies with field trips. She works actively with victims of crime in the West portion of Harris County through M.A.D.D., Compassionate Friends and other organizations.

After attending the Harris County Sheriffs Office Citizen’s Police Academy, Mrs. Baldwin became the president of the Harris County Sheriffs Office - West District Alumni Association, serving until 1999. She used her relationship with F.R.A.N.C.O. and the CPA Alumni Association to help raise funds for items needed by the deputies utilizing the Fry Road Store Front

Upon learning of this award Mrs. Baldwin said,” It has been very rewarding to make a contribution to these programs that have served to create a solid bridge between the citizens and the department. Many outstanding people both in the Sheriff’s Office and in the community have touched my life over the years. It has always been a special honor and privilege to work with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. I am very grateful that the Sheriff’s Office nominated me for this award and humbled that Crime Stoppers selected me as the recipient. This is, indeed, an honor.”

Mrs. Baldwin’s enthusiastic support of the community and law enforcement makes hers deserving of this recognition.

Pictured: Captain Paul Cordova, Annette Baldwin, Lieutenant John Parker


Prepared BY:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy David Papa has been nominated for the Katy Elks Lodge #2628 Peace Officer Award. His nomination is the result of the actions he took on December 5, 2006, at 2AM, when he and other deputies responded to the report of two suspicious persons in the 6400 Block of Modesto Drive. Deputy Papa was told that there were two male suspects walking through the neighborhood, attempting to burglarize cars. He was also told that there was a vehicle parked on the street that was believed to belong to one of the suspects. When Deputy Papa arrived he located the vehicle but was unable to locate any suspects. The suspects did not return to the vehicle, and after searching the neighborhood for forty minutes, the deputies returned to service.

Deputy Papa, determined to find the suspects, returned to the neighborhood at 4:15 AM. Minutes after he arrived, he saw the suspect vehicle back out of a driveway and park in front of another residence. He conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and spoke to the sole occupant who offered conflicting stories to explain his presence in the neighborhood. Deputy Papa called for additional deputies and detained the suspect. As he was conducting his investigation, he heard the sound of glass breaking, people screaming, and saw several people running from a residence next to his location. The deputies determined they had interrupted a home invasion. While Deputy Sims remained with the first suspect, Deputies Papa, and Fitts, with no regard for their own safety, went in the backyard of the residence to prevent the escape of other suspects who might still be inside. Within minutes, a second suspect came out of the residence. When the suspect saw the deputies he began shooting in their direction. The deputies exchanged gunfire with the suspect but he was able to jump the fence and flee the scene. Both deputies narrowly escaped serious injury.

The investigation revealed that the suspect in the vehicle, along with two other suspects had just robbed the residence and had seriously injured one man in order to obtain his bank card PIN number. Detectives were able to link these suspects to numerous home invasions in Harris and Fort Bend Counties and in the City of Houston. The suspect who fired at Deputy Papa was apprehended later that day.

Due to Deputy Papa’s diligence and tenacious pursuit of justice, two dangerous felons were taken off the streets of Harris County, making it a safer place to live. He has proven himself worthy of this recognition because of his attention to detail and dedication to duty as he serves to protect the citizens of Harris County.


Prepared By:
Deputy Diann Johnson
Media Liaison, District IV

District IV welcomes Lieutenant Max Turner as the newest member of the command staff. Lieutenant Turner began his career with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in December of 1991. He was initially assigned to the Support Services Bureau, where he worked as a Clerk in the Law Library at the now defunct 1301 Detention Facility. In November of 1993, he became a Detention Officer and was assigned to both the 1301 and 701 Detention Facilities. He graduated from the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy, Class B1-95, and became a Deputy in May of 1995. He remained in the Detention Bureau until his transfer to the Patrol Bureau in March of 1997. He was assigned to District I until November of 1999, when he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. As a Sergeant he was assigned to the 1301 Detention Facility after which he transferred to the Inmate Processing Command in January of 2000. While assigned there, he worked in Booking and Releasing, Probable Cause Court and Inmate Records. In 2004, he returned to the Patrol Bureau with the opening of District 5 and remained there until his promotion to Lieutenant. Lieutenant Turner holds a Master Peace Officer’s License, a TCLEOSE Instructors License and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Houston.

Lieutenant Turner and his wife, Melody, have three children, a daughter, Lauren 13, and two sons, Max III 14, and Jackson 5. He enjoys sports activities, church, and spending time with his family.

Congratulations to Lieutenant Turner on his promotion.


Prepared by:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

In what appears to be an unprecedented occurrence, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas has promoted eight deputies from one district to the rank of sergeant in the past three months. We have always known District IV deputies were a cut above the rest. On October 28th, twelve deputies were promoted and six of those came from District IV. The six include; Deputies William Campbell, Scott Gill, Samuel Hayes, Gale Johnson, James Flynt and James Parrish.

William Campbell began his career in law enforcement with the Kansas State Police Department in 1980. In June of 1983, he joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. In August of 1983, he challenged and passed the licensing exam to receive his Texas Peace Officer’s License. His assignments have included Housing, Booking and Receiving, Central Records, Bonding and the jail ward at Ben Taub Hospital. William transferred to the Patrol Bureau in 1995 and was assigned to District IV where he remained until his promotion to the rank of Sergeant. William holds a Master Peace Officer’s License and a Master Jailer’s License. He is a member of the Harris County Deputies Association and was one of the first to serve as a Steward. He is also a life member of the National Rifle Association. Sergeant Campbell and his wife, Lourdes, have two daughters Samantha, 30 and Rachel, 22. He enjoys skeet shooting, hunting, riding motorcycles and spending time with his family.

Scott Gill began his career in law enforcement with Harris County in August 0f 1980. In 1982, he left Harris County to work for the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department. In October of 1991, Scott returned to Harris County where his assignments included the Detention Bureau, Support Services Bureau and the Field Operations Support Bureau. In January of 1999, he was transferred to the Patrol Bureau, District IV, where he was a Field Training Officer. Scott holds a Master Peace Officer’s License and an Instructor’s License. He is married and has two children, ages 16 and 19. His oldest is a student at the University of Houston. Scott enjoys traveling with his family.

Samuel Hayes began his career with Harris County in October of 1991. He completed the University of Houston’s Basic Peace Officer’s in 1993 and graduated in the top 10% of his class. His first assignment was to the Detention Bureau until 1997 when he was transferred to the Patrol Bureau. He was assigned to District I until 2001 when he transferred to District IV. While he was assigned to the Patrol Bureau, he received many commendations including one for bravery. He was able to successfully disarm a suicidal woman who was brandishing a knife to her throat. Deputy Hayes remained in District IV until his promotion to Sergeant. Sergeant Hayes and his wife Angela have a son, Samuel twelve years-old, and a daughter, Samera four years-old. He enjoys sports and spending time with his family.

In October of 1991, Gale Johnson joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to the Detention Bureau where he remained until his transfer to the Patrol Bureau in September of 1995. In 1997, Gale became a Field Training Officer until his promotion to Sergeant. He holds an Advance Peace Officer’s License, an Instructor’s License, a Crisis Intervention Certificate and an Accident Instructor’s Certificate, levels I and II. Gale and his wife Lisa have five children, Kristen 19, timothy 17, Heaven 14, Sierra 10 and Sydney 6. He enjoys working on classic cars and camping with his family.

James Flynt began his career with Harris County in October of 1991, and was assigned to the Detention Bureau. He graduated from the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy in 1994, Class B2-94. In August of 1998, James transferred to the Patrol Bureau. He became a Field Training Officer in January of 2001 and received his Instructor’s License in March of that year. He remained in District IV until his promotion to Sergeant.

James Parrish began his career with Harris County in December of 1992. He was assigned to the Detention Bureau until February of 1998 when he was transferred to the Patrol Bureau, District IV. He has an Advanced Peace Officer License and is a Rape Aggression Defense Instructor. He and his wife Erika have three children, K.J., six years-old, and twins, Charles and Thomas, three years-old.

While they will be missed, we wish them all the best of luck.


Prepared By:
Deputy Diann Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas’ Citizen’s Police Academy, Class #22, held their graduation ceremony on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, at the Second Baptist Church, 19449 Katy Freeway. Class #22, with its roster of 46 students, represents one of the largest classes ever conducted. The guest speaker, the Honorable Brock Thomas, Presiding Judge of the 338th Harris County Criminal District Court and son of Sheriff Tommy Thomas, commended the graduates for the commitment they made by attending and completing the class. He spoke about the importance of the role they will be able to play in their communities through the partnership with law enforcement developed as a result of this class.

The ceremony represented the culmination of an eleven week program designed to give the participants a working knowledge of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The program consisted of a series of interactive classes designed to give the students a better understanding of how police services are conducted in their community, and see “how and why” officers make some of the decisions they do as they perform their duties. There were guest instructors who covered some of the basic aspects of law enforcement such as Texas Penal Code, Case Law, Domestic Violence, Gang Awareness, Terrorism, and Patrol Procedures. The students were given the opportunity to participate in scenarios where they, acting as police officers, were confronted with domestic disputes, intoxicated drivers and belligerent passengers. Upon completion of the class and with prior approval, students will be able to ride with a deputy.

Sheriff Thomas encourages citizens to become involved in their communities and offers the Citizens Police Academy, to the public free of charge, as an avenue to do that.

For information on upcoming academy classes contact the Community Services Division of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-225-3273.

Harris County Precinct One Commissioner El Franco Lee hosted his 14th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Senior Citizens at the Reliant Center on November 16, 2006. Precinct One employees and volunteers helped prepare trays catered by Pappas Bar-B-Que. Sheriff Tommy Thomas of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office showed his support of the event by providing deputies for the event, offering their services to the 2,200+ participating seniors. Some deputies assisted the seniors with safety maneuvering around the buses outside, while others helped with the doors and general information.




Prepared By:
Deputy K. Jordan
Media Liaison

Posted By:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

One the many community oriented programs Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas actively supports is the Promise to Read. It is designed to enlist area professionals to spend thirty minutes in the classrooms reading to students. The program reinforces the importance of reading and encourages community involvement in public schools. Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Dolores Esquivel, who is assigned to the Community Services Division, had the opportunity to participate in the program at two schools in the Katy Independent School District this week.

Wednesday she went to Nottingham Elementary School and read to Mrs. Bettes’ second grade class. Deputy Esquivel read a chapter from a book the class had been reading and then gave the class the chance to ask questions. Most of the questions were about her uniform and her duty weapon. This gave her the opportunity to reinforce gun safety rules the students must follow should they find a firearm.

On Thursday, Deputy Esquivel read to Ms. Watson’s fifth grade class at Wolfe Elementary School. The story was different but the questions were the same, which again gave Deputy Esquivel the opportunity to reinforce gun safety with the older students. When the time came for Deputy Esquivel to leave, one of the student said “Leave, You just got here!” making it apparent that the class enjoyed having her there.

Sheriff Thomas believes programs like Promise to Read provides the opportunity for the students to have a positive experience with an officer in law enforcement that will leave a lasting impression.

Sergeant Jesse Razo is the latest addition to the District IV roster. He began his career with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in March of 1991, where he was assigned to the 1301 Jail Facility. He graduated from the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy in January of 1993, Class #B1-93. He was assigned to the Inmate Processing Center where he worked in Booking and Releasing and Probable Cause Court. He graduated from Class #2 of the Emergency Response Team in May of 1995. In October of 1995, he transferred to the Patrol Bureau and was assigned to District I. In October of 2002, he was transferred to the Detective Bureau as an investigator in the Internal Affairs Division. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2004, and was assigned to the Detention Bureau. In April of 2005, he was transferred to Central Patrol and was assigned to the Parks Division. In May of 2005, he was assigned to the Criminal Investigative Unit where he remained until his transfer in September of 2006, to District IV.

Sergeant Razo has a Master Peace Office’s Certificate, a Bicycle Patrol Certificate and a Bilingual Certificate.

Sergeant Razo and his wife Cynthia have one son, Nicholas, 2 years-old. He enjoys jogging, playing softball and spending time with his family.

One of District IV’s finest has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas made it official when he presented Sergeant Marvin Brown with his badge and identification.

Sergeant Brown began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in May of 1988 and was assigned to the Detention Bureau. In 1999 he transferred to the Patrol Bureau and was assigned to District IV. During his time in the district he was recognized for his outstanding job performance twice by then District IV Captain S. Nixon. He has his advanced peace officer’s license.

Sergeant Brown enjoys working out, traveling and spending time with his three children. We congratulate Sergeant Brown on his promotion and although he will be missed in the district, we wish him the best of luck.

On Tuesday October 10, 2006, Deputy Richard Goffner was leaving the Clay Road Substation, when he noticed a vehicle traveling northbound in the 4300 block of Highway 6 North. There were three adult males in the vehicle and a large television in the back seat. As Deputy Goffner followed the vehicle, all three of the occupants began making suspicious movements to see if he was following them. The vehicle made a sudden u-turn, in an apparent attempt to elude the deputy. Deputy Goffner checked the license plate of the vehicle and discovered that it had been reported stolen from Beaumont, Texas. Immediately, Deputy Goffner turned in the same direction of the suspect vehicle. The suspects, seeing Deputy Goffner behind them, pulled into a parking lot and jumped out in an attempt to avoid him. Deputy Goffner maintained visual contact with the suspects while broadcasting their description and direction of travel to responding units. He was able to apprehend two of the suspects. With the assistance of responding officers, the third suspect was apprehended at a nearby business.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the suspects were attempting to pawn a stolen television. All three occupants had felony fugitive warrants out of Jefferson County. The driver of the stolen vehicle was in possession of a small amount of narcotics.

Deputy Goffner is to be commended for his attention to detail and dedication to duty as he serves to protect the citizens of Harris County.

On Tuesday, October 17, Deputy T. Rauch was responding to a traffic accident in the 2200 Block of Mission Mill Circle, where a truck had reportedly run into a fence, when he saw a man standing on the median down from the accident. The deputy continued to the location of the reported accident and found a white Ford truck with no driver or passenger. He returned to the location where he had seen the unidentified man and found him still standing there. It was determined that he was the driver of the abandoned truck. The suspect, identified as Daniel Baldaras 26 of Katy, told the deputy he was trying to “get away from the guys shooting at him” and ran into the fence. Deputy Rauch checked Baldaras for possible weapons and found $470 in various denominations in one of his pockets. When he checked the truck he found what would later be determined to be 15.7 grams of cocaine. Baldaras was also in possession of a small amount of marijuana and white pills believed to Zanax. He was charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance and is currently being held in the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 Bond.


Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies Jan Brown and Sheila Enloe demonstrated Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) techniques for a class of Memorial Area Business Women. The women, who all are business owners, have found themselves in situations where they work alone, and they choose a proactive approach to self defense by taking advantage of the R.A.D. program offered by Sheriff Tommy Thomas, free of charge to the public. The students were taught that the first step to personal safety is to be aware of their surroundings at all times. Being aware reduces opportunity, and without opportunity the chance of becoming a victim is greatly reduced. On the last night students participated in practical exercises where they were able to use the techniques they had been taught.

For further information about the R.A.D. program call the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Community Services Division at 713- 759- 9454.

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas is pleased to announce the graduation of the latest Rape Aggression Defense class (R.A.D.). The class was held at the Chinese Community Center where nineteen women took the first step toward personal safety by learning basic self-defense skills. The students were taught that they must be aware of their surroundings at all times. Being aware reduces opportunity and without opportunity the chance of becoming a victim is greatly reduced. The class meets for five nights, three hours a night and concludes with a simulation exercise where the students are able to use the techniques they have learned.

Sheriff Thomas actively supports the R.A.D. Program and offers it to the public free of charge. For further information contact the Sheriff’s Office, Community Services Division at 713-759-9454.


Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

On September 16, Deputy Juan Gallegos stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation in the 5300 Block of Barker Cypress. The first thing the driver said to him was that there were no drugs in the car. Since this seemed an odd thing to say, the deputy checked the identification of all the occupants in the car. Deputy Gallegos found that the passenger, Leo Maguder 24 of Katy, had eleven outstanding warrants for his arrest from another agency. After the deputy took custody of Maguder, the driver of the vehicle told him that if he was going to take Maguder to jail he needed his gun too. He told the deputy that Maguder had shown him the gun and then put it in the truck. The Deputy recovered a 9mm handgun, fully loaded, from the trunk. Maguder was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in addition to the eleven outstanding warrants.




Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

On September 16, Deputy Brady Pullen recognized a juvenile who had been reported as a runaway walking in the 4200 Block of Scone. The juvenile, 16 of Katy, gave the deputy a fictitious name. The deputy was able to identify him from a runaway poster and found that he also had an out of County warrant for Felony Burglary of a Habitation. The juvenile was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.


Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office participated in a national bilingual initiative to educate the Spanish speaking community in the Houston / Harris County area about the importance of child safety seats and seat belts. This event is the result of the collaboration between the National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI) and the Ford Motor Company Fund along with safety advocates across the country. According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), “traffic crashes are the leading cause of death of young children and car crash injuries are the leading cause of death for Latino children of all ages”. As a result of this program, twenty-four students, Spanish and English speaking, will be trained and certified as child safety seat technicians. Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey McGowan was one of the instructors to participate in this event, which is the first in the country, where English and Spanish classes were taught simultaneously. Major Robert Van Pelt, who represented Sheriff Thomas, spoke of a shared concern about the number of crash related deaths and injuries of children who are either not secured in a child safety seat, or are in an improperly installed seat and or are not using seat belts. He also provided information about storefront locations around the county where trained deputies are available to perform car seat checks. Following the press conference certified safety seat technicians were on hand to perform car seat checks. Deputy Grace Luna and Deputy Sam Cerda, who are both safety seat technicians, participated in the seat checks.

Participation in this event is another example of Sheriff Thomas’ commitment to the safety of the citizens of Harris County by providing safety-oriented programs, free of charge. Other programs include the popular Rape Aggression Defense training and the Citizen’s Police Academy.

For additional information about car seat inspections and other community services programs, visit the Sheriff’s Office Website at www.hcso.hctx.net.


Prepared by: Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas invited prospective applicants to attend a Career Opportunity Day on August 23, 2006. It was scheduled to start at 10 am but by 9:20 am there was already a line forming, a very long line. In all there were over 450 applications given out and of those over 120 applicants opted to take the first test in the series of tests, to become a Detention Officer, while they were there.

Sheriff Thomas was there to greet the applicants as were representatives from the many divisions within the Sheriff’s Office. Applicants received information on career opportunities such as Communication Officers, Detention Officers, Deputy Sheriff, Medical Services and Food Services. Representatives from the Marine Division, Mounted Patrol, and K-9 were also on hand to further demonstrate the department’s many capabilities.

Additional information can be found on the Harris County Sheriff's Office website at www.hcso.hctx.net, or by calling our Recruiting Division at 713-921-8891.



Prepared By: Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Sheriff Tommy Thomas’ Citizen’s Police Academy (C.P.A.) Class #22 began last week. There was so much interest in the class that it quickly filled up and a waiting list is already filling up for the next class. Major Robert Van Pelt, Patrol Support Services Bureau, welcomed students and spoke about the importance of the relationship between C.P.A. and the Sheriff’s Office. He explained that the knowledge they gain from this ten-week class will enable them to work with law enforcement to identify problems and solutions to crime issues affecting our County. Major Van Pelt introduced his staff along with the District IV Commander, Captain Paul Cordova. Members of the C.P.A. Alumni, President Art Hood and District IV liaison Margaret Hooper, explained their function within the district and invited the class to become part of their organization. They encouraged the students, upon graduation, to participate in the ride-along program. This allows them to ride with a deputy assigned to their district, giving them the opportunity to witness first-hand what deputies encounter on a daily basis.

Sergeant Gaisile Kirby and Deputy Paul Brown, with the Community Services Division, coordinated the class with the assistance of Crime Prevention and Storefront personnel. Deputy Brown told the class that a series of guest speakers will cove a broad range of topics over the next ten weeks including Penal Code, Patrol Procedures, Domestic Violence, Terrorism and Crime Scene Investigation. He also told them they will have the opportunity to take a tour of some areas in Sheriff’s Office downtown facilities. A tour of the Inmate Processing Center will give the class the opportunity to see where inmates are booked into and released from jail. The class will tour one of the Inmate Housing Facilities and the Communications Division/911 where calls are taken from citizens and dispatched to Law Enforcement, Fire Department or Emergency Medical Services. Upon completion of the class there will be a graduation ceremony where family members are invited to attend.

For information on upcoming C.P.A. classes contact the Community Services Division of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-759-9454.


Prepared By: Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy A. Thompson was on patrol in the 13,500 Block of Alief Clodine on August 20, 2006, when he saw a vehicle approaching him without a front license plate. He stopped the vehicle to ask the driver about the missing license plate. As he was speaking to the driver, identified as Eric Hunt 23 of Houston, he smelled the odor of what he believed to be Marijuana. Deputy Thompson asked Hunt for his consent to search his car. After Hunt consented to the search, Deputy Thompson asked him to step out of his car and asked him to sit in the back of his patrol car while he conducted the search. Since no weapons or illegal drugs were found in Hunt’s car, the deputy released him. When Deputy Thompson checked the back seat of his patrol car for any property that may have been left by the suspect, he found a napkin with what he believed to be marijuana under the back seat. Since it is Deputy Thompson’s practice to check his vehicle at the beginning of his duty hours and after a suspect has been in the backseat, he was certain the marijuana belonged to Hunt.

Deputy Thompson arrested Hunt, and charged him with Possession of Marijuana. He was taken to the Harris County Jail where he is being held on a $500 Bond. Hunt found out that the only return he would get from his deposit was a trip to jail.



Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesus Marin has been named “Officer of the Month” for July, 2006, by the Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce. He has earned this recognition through his dedication to the community and his pro-active approach to police work. It is because of this approach that he was able to prevent an armed robbery at an area business.

On May 26, 2006, Deputy Marin saw what he believed to be suspicious activity in the Little Cesar’s Restaurant in the 5500 Block of Fry Road. As Deputy Marin watched, he saw the employees walk towards the front of the business, lie face down on the floor and put their hands behind their heads. He quickly recognized this was an aggravated robbery in progress and requested additional deputies to respond. The suspect, who was behind the counter of the restaurant, saw Deputy Marin and ran out of the rear of the business. The suspect ran into a neighborhood behind the business and jumped several fences in an attempt to escape. As additional deputies arrived, Deputy Marin directed them towards the neighborhood so that a perimeter could be established to prevent the suspect from leaving the area. The suspect was quickly found, identified, taken into custody and charged with Aggravated Robbery.

Deputy Marin’s keen observational skills and decisive actions resulted in the capture of this suspect and prevented possible injuries that could have resulted from this robbery. His professionalism and commitment to service are a positive example for the department and the citizens he has sworn to serve.




Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy L. Harry participated in a back to school event at the Mahogany Hair Salon on Creekbend in Houston Friday, August 11, 2006.The purpose of the event was to “kick off” the new school year by offering free dental check-ups from Colgate Bright Smiles and free school supplies courtesy of C V S Pharmacies.

Deputy Harry, who is assigned to the Community Services Division, gave the four and five year-old children Honorary Junior Sheriff’s Deputy Badges, coloring books and informational pamphlets for their parents. Deputy Harry also let the children look inside her patrol car so that she could explain and demonstrate the function of the equipment in her car. Deputy Harry gave the children the opportunity to ask questions and let them operate the emergency lights. Once Deputy Harry demonstrated the siren for the children, none of them asked to hear it again.

These types of events are sometimes the first contact a child has with a law enforcement officer. It gives them the opportunity to have a positive experience that will hopefully leave a lasting impression.

This is the fifth year Catherine Hays, owner of Mahogany Hair Salon, has arranged the event and plans to expand it next year to include free immunizations.



Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas was presented with a proclamation for promoting community involvement in crime prevention and safety awareness. The proclamation was presented by Harris County Judge Robert Eckels at the 23rd Annual National Night Out kick-off press conference held July 31, 2006, at the Houston Police Department headquarters. Chief of Police Harold Hurtt and Mayor Bill White extended the invitation to surrounding law enforcement agencies and to Houston City Council Members who were also in attendance for this event.





Prepared by:
Deputy Lisa Martinez
Public Information Section
Posted by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas is pleased to introduce the department’s latest addition to proactive policing, S.I.D.N.E. (Simulated Impaired Driving Experience). Through a joint venture with State Farm Insurance S.I.D.N.E. will be used to educate teens, as well the rest of the community, on the dangers of driving under the influence. It looks and operates like a go cart until the deputy puts it in the “delay mode”. The cost of the equipment, roughly $16,000, is divided between the Sheriff’s Office and State Farm Insurance. State Farm actively participates in many of the community oriented programs Sheriff Thomas offers to make our community safer.
S.I.D.N.E. is based on the premise that an impaired driver has a considerably slower reaction time, as long as 2-2 1/2 seconds longer, than an unimpaired driver. S.I.D.N.E. allows the unimpaired driver the experience of driving under the influence in a safe, controlled environment. Deputy Jeff McGowen, one of the four deputies currently trained to operate S.I.D.N.E., is hopeful that this will deter drivers from getting behind the wheel when they are impaired, for any reason. He explained that the instructor has control of the “car” at all times and has the ability to stop and add or remove the impairment. As the driver follows a course of turns, curves and stops, the instructor decides what point to add the impairment. The driver quickly realizes how long 2-2 1/2 seconds is and what could happen in that amount time.
There were four teen aged volunteers present to demonstrate the difference in their driving abilities with and without impairment. Sixteen year-old Brian Delasbour said he was amazed at the difficulty the impairment created. One of the more common reactions the volunteers made was “I lost control of the car”. The deputies are quick to correct them by pointing out they were in control of the vehicle, it was when they decided to get behind the wheel impaired, that they lost control.


For additional information contact Crime Prevention at: 713-759-9454


Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas is pleased to announce the graduation of the latest Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class. The class of 23 women was held at the American Kids Academy on Fry Road in Katy. In the course of the five-night class, the students were taught that being aware of their surroundings at all times is one of the most important things they can do to reduce the possibility of becoming the victim of an attack. They were also taught basic self defense techniques and given the opportunity to use those techniques in a controlled exercise on the last night of class.

Sheriff Thomas actively supports the R.A.D. Program and offers it to the public free of charge.


Pictured are R.A.D. Instructors, Deputy Jan Brown and Deputy Paul Brown with their proud graduates.


Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office District IV Burglary Apprehension Response Squad (B.A.R.S) has the responsibility to investigate residential burglaries not only for the Sheriff’s Office, but for the Pct. 5 Constable’s Office as well. While they were assisting in the investigation of a Burglary that occurred on June 3, 2006, at a Katy residence in the 500 Block of Houghton Drive, B.A.R.S. Deputy John Borowski discovered information that ultimately led to the apprehension of multiple suspects and the recovery of property taken in this case.
The Katy family whose home was burglarized had returned from a short trip when they made the discovery. This alone is a terrible experience for anyone. Material things can be replaced, right? In this case, it was reported that the property taken was of great sentimental value to the family. The suspects, Jennifer Lewis 19 of Houston, Justin Lawrence 17 of Katy and a 15 year old male juvenile also from Katy, reportedly made several trips to the residence taking guns, jewelry and $1000 in coins from a piggy bank. It was reported that most of the guns had belonged to the deceased father of the complainant. The complainant told the deputy his father died while serving in Vietnam and the guns were among the only things he had to remember his father by. He also said his father’s Military Service Medals from the Korean War, the Vietnam War and his Purple Heart Medal were missing.
Using the evidence obtained at the residence implicating the suspects and information provided by the suspects, deputies located the area where the weapons had reportedly been dumped. The Sheriff’s Dive team was called in to search a man made lake in the vicinity of the Settlers Village Subdivision and successfully recovered eight of the weapons. Unfortunately the weapons were in poor condition from being in the water for several days. None of his father’s medals were found.
As the investigation continues deputies are saying the three suspects could possibly be involved in at least a dozen area burglaries. The suspects were charged with Burglary of a Habitation and given a $10,000 Bond. Jennifer Lewis is out on bond awaiting trial while Justin Lawrence is being held in the Harris County Jail on a $10,000 Bond.
Due to teamwork and cooperation between the Sheriff’s B.A.R.S. Deputies and the Sheriff’s Dive Team, these suspects were caught and the property recovered.

Prepared by:
Deputy D.Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

On July 9, 2006, at 10:30 pm, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call in the 2000 Block of Westborough Dr. in Katy. The deputies were told there were two small children who were reportedly screaming, crying and knocking on the door of a neighbor in their apartment complex. Deputy Victor Gamboa found the children with the neighbor who had called the Sheriff’s Office. The neighbor told him they were not sure what apartment the children lived in but they thought it was on the floor below them. Deputy Gamboa, along with Sergeant Kinnard-Bing, checked the floor below and found an apartment with an open door. When they received no response from inside the apartment, they went in to check to make sure there was no one injured or unable to respond. They found a television on in a bedroom but found no one home. As the result of good police work they were able to locate the parents of the children, a four year old female and a three year old male. The deputy spoke to the mother, Maria Dejesus, 36 of Katy, by cell phone and asked if she knew where her children were. She told him the children were at home. He asked who the children were with she told him they were alone. When Deputy Gamboa asked where she was, she said she and the children’s father, Jose Vazquez 26 of Katy, were at a birthday party and were planning to go to a “club” after that. Deputy Gamboa asked why they left the children home alone and Dejesus reportedly told him they had been unable to find a babysitter and “when the children go to sleep they do not wake up until the next day”.
Deputies reportedly waited for about an hour for the parents to return home. Both were charged with Abandoning/ Endangering a Child with the Intent to Return and are currently being held in the Harris County Jail on a $10,000 Bond. Child Protective Services took custody of the children.
Sheriff Tommy Thomas commented, “There have been a number of recent incidents such as this where small children were left alone for several hours, and some of these cases have ended tragically.” Sheriff Thomas added that parents will be held criminally responsible in cases where children were harmed as a result of being left home alone.


Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

On Friday, May 26, 2006, just after midnight in the 5500 Block of N. Fry Road, the trained eyes of Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesus Marin spotted activity inside the Little Caesar’s Pizza Restaurant that looked very suspicious. The lights were on and all the employees were walking towards the front of the business. As he drove closer, he saw the employees beginning to lie face down with their hands behind their heads. He also saw someone behind the counter who appeared to be attempting to hide. This suspect was wearing a black hooded sweat shirt with his face partially covered. Deputy Marin immediately advised communications that this appeared to be an aggravated robbery in-progress. As he was relaying this information, the suspect ran toward the back of the business. Deputy Marin ran after the suspect who jumped a wooden fence into a yard of a house in the neighborhood behind the business. As other deputies responded, Deputy Marin directed them in the direction the suspect had fled.
Deputy Ronnie Bunch responded to the location and began a search of the neighborhood. Deputy Bunch saw a vehicle with the lights off driving in the area. When he stopped the vehicle he found a female driver with a male passenger who appeared to be out of breath and sweating profusely. Deputy Bunch immediately ordered him out of the vehicle and onto his stomach. The suspect initailly complied but suddenly got up and started running. Deputy Bunch ran after the suspect but was unable to catch him. Deputy Gary Morrison, who was also in the area, heard Deputy Bunch call for assistance and drove toward his location. He saw Deputy Bunch who told him that the subject was jumping fences into back yards in an attempt to evade deputies. Deputy Morrison ran into a back yard ahead of the suspect and waited for him to jump the fence into the back yard where he was standing. When the suspect jumped into the yard Deputy Morrison ordered him to stop and surrender but he refused and attempted to jump the fence. Deputy Morrison chased the suspect, was able to stop him from jumping the fence and succesfully secured him. The suspect, later identified as Scott Travis, 24 of Katy, was charged with Aggravated Robbery with a deadly weapon and received a sentenance of nine years in prison.
Each of these deputies acted acted in a well coordinated effort to detect, pursue, and arrest the suspect of this aggravated robbery. Due to Deputy Marin’s attention to detail, the quick response time and teamwork on the part of Deputies Bunch and Morrison, the suspect was apprehended before he could make good his escape. They are all to be commended for their performance and dedication to duty as they serve to protect the citizens of Harris County.



Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

On Saturday, June 10, 2006, at 00:57 hours, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 15550 Block of Kingfield at the Colonies Landing Apartment complex where a reported aggravated robbery had occurred. Two male complainants reported they were robbed at gun point by two male suspects who took their wallets and cell phones. Within minutes Deputy Shane Rigdon arrived at the location and found one of the complainants. The complainant, 17 year old Katy man, gave the deputy a complete description of the suspects. The complainant also told him that after the suspects robbed him they ran through an apartment access gate beside the 700 building of the complex. As Deputy Rigdon was directing responding units to set up a perimeter, he saw two males who appeared to match the description of the suspects near the access gate the suspects reportedly used when they fled from the scene. Deputy Rigdon, concealed from view, cautiously moved along side one of the buildings against some landscaped bushes. He was able to surprise the suspects, who attempted to run but were now cornered within a stairway vestibule. Deputy Rigdon was able to secure both suspects and return them to the scene where they were both identified as the suspects who robbed the two complainants. The weapon used to commit the robbery was found and the stolen property recovered.
The suspects were identified as Cesar Delgado, 18 of Houston, and a 16 year old juvenile also of Houston. Both were charged with Aggravated Robbery with a Deadly Weapon. Delgado was taken to the Harris County Jail where he is being held on a $30,000 bond. The juvenile, who was reportdly identified as the suspect who displayed the weapon, was also charged with Aggravated Robbery with a Deadly Weapon and was taken to a juvenile facility.
Deputy Rigdon’s quick actions and attention to detail resulted in the capture of these suspects. He has proven himself to be a true professional who presents a positive image for the Sheriff's Office and the citizens of Harris County he has sworn to serve.



Prepared by:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

When Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy K. Hudson responded to a reported disturbance in the 23400 block of Fernhurst, he had no idea that he was about to catch a “video pirate” red-handed. What Deputy Hudson discovered would turn out to be one of the largest video piracy operations in the Katy/ Houston/ Harris County area. The suspect, Derrick Harrison 29 of Katy, was in possession of 4,067 DVDs and 407 CDs valued at $79,000. Harrison also had $692 in cash in his pocket in rolls by denomination. Harrison had invested $8400 in the computer equipment needed to mass-reproduce movies and music. He had four CD/DVD recorders with the capability to make eight copies of a DVD at a time as well as several computers used to send and receive videos and music over the internet. All of these are considered tools of the trade for piracy. Among the videos recovered were first run movies currently at theaters such as “Cars”, “X-Men” and “Over the Hedge”. The damage resulting from creating and dispersing illegal copies of videos and music can be felt all the way down to the person who buys a ticket at a movie box office.
When law enforcement agencies find what they believe to be evidence of piracy, a representative of the Motion Picture Industry is contacted for verification that the material has been pirated. Because of the size of this operation a representative, Chris Meisenhalder, responded to the residence and verified that Harrison was in possession of copies of movies and music that had been illegally obtained. Pirated films can come from any number of sources, a bootlegger who secretly videotapes a new movie at a pre-screening, or an insider who takes a copy meant for a reviewer. Meisenhalder said that until September 2005, there was nothing that prohibited video recorders in movies. Since then the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act was passed and made video recording in a theater a federal felony and establishes new penalties for pirating works that have not been released commercially. First-time violators can be given a sentence of three and five years, respectively, for these crimes and fined up to $250,000. The same protection can be found on the State level in the Texas Business and Commerce Code. Movie pirating is a serious problem that costs the Motion Picture Industry about $250 million domestically and $2 billion to $3 billion internationally and affects the economies on all levels.
Harrison was charged with Sale or Possession of Unlabeled Recording, a recording that does not clearly and conspicuously disclose the name of the manufacturer or performer or group, and other unrelated charges and was taken to the Harris County Jail where he is being held on a 50000 Bond.

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas has appointed 27-year Sheriff’s Office veteran Michael J. O’Brien to the position of Major of the newly created Homeland Security Bureau. His duties will entail handling terrorism issues and working with Federal and Local jurisdictions on deterrence and interdiction. Major O’Brien will also represent the Sheriff’s Office as the Deputy Director of Homeland Security for Harris County Judge Robert Eckels’ office in the development of increased security measures for the Port of Houston and the Harris County area. He will also act as incident commander and coordinate Sheriff’s Office functions in relation to natural disasters and other catastrophic events as it relates to law enforcement response and evacuation.

Major O’Brien began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1980 after receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force. His well rounded career has included a variety of assignments involving detention, patrol, and criminal investigations. He was promoted to the rank of Detective in 1984 where he worked in Criminal Warrants, Burglary, Child Abuse and Sex Crimes. In 1989 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the Planning and Evaluations Bureau and the Patrol Bureau until 1995, when he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. As Lieutenant he was assigned to the Detention Bureau, the Patrol Bureau and to the Human Resources Bureau.

While assigned to the Human Resources Bureau, Captain O’Brien’s primary assignment was to modify policies and ensure compliance in all law enforcement operations functions with the goal of bringing the Harris County Sheriff’s Department in line with international standards of performance in order to meet the stringent standards required for accreditation established by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is the largest Sheriff’s Office in the nation to achieve accredited status, as well as the largest law enforcement agency in Texas to receive this prestigious designation. In 2000, O’Brien was promoted to the rank of Captain and in 2002, returned to the Patrol Bureau where he served as commander of the Wallisville Station located on the east side of Harris County, and later at the Clay Road station on the west side where remained until his appointment as Major of the Homeland Security Bureau.

Major O’Brien’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Houston/Clear Lake where his major was in Public Management. He also holds an Associates of Arts Degree in law enforcement from San Jacinto College. Major O’Brien is also a graduate of Sam Houston State University’s prestigious “Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas.” He holds a Texas Master Peace Officer Certification, as well as a Texas Peace Officer Instructors License. Major O’Brien is also certified assessor for Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. He served as a Councilman, Mayor Pro Tem, and Mayor for the City of El Lago, Texas from 1993 – 2001. Major O’Brien is the father of a son, John and a daughter, Kristen and recently became a grandfather to Zachary.

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas sponsored a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class for children, 5-7 years of age, at the Bear Creek Community Center this week. This was the first R.A.D. Kids class sponsored by the Sheriff’s Office this summer and the response was tremendous. A R.A.D. Kids class is considerably shorter than an adult R.A.D. class and includes age sensitive material and technique. The instructors, Deputies D. Esquivel and D. Johnson, with the assistance of Detective J.T. Dousay and Deputy P. Roy taught the students about strangers, both good and bad, and stranger danger. This is sometimes the first time a child learns that there are times when they not only can, but should say “no” to an adult. They also learn what constitutes an emergency and when and how to make a 911 call on a cell phone, a home phone or a pay phone. At the end of the class the students are given the opportunity to use what they learned in a safe, controlled exercise.
The next R.A. D. Kids class will be offered on July 24, 25, 26, and 27 from 1pm- 3pm for 8-10 year olds and will be held at the Bear Creek Community Center.


For registration call: Deputy Dolores Esquivel at: 281-564-5988. The class is offered free of charge by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.



Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Sgt. Samuel Joseph began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in August of 1992. He was assigned to the Detention Bureau until February 1996. He then transferred to the Patrol Bureau where his first assignment was to the Motorist Assistance Program. After a short time he transferred to District II in the Humble area. Sgt. Joseph remained in District II until July of 2002 at which time he transferred to the Inmate Processing Center. After five months he transferred to the Detective Bureau and was assigned to the Sex Offender Registration Unit. On October 4, 2003 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and returned to the Detention Bureau until May 13, 2006. At that time he transferred to the Patrol Bureau and was assigned to District IV.
Sgt. Joseph has been married to wife Stefani for 16 years and is father to son Christopher, 11, and daughter Kaitlyn, 8. He said his only hobby is fishing and he goes as often as he can.



Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson

Lieutenant W. Gray has become the newest addition to the District IV team. He began his career with the Harris County Sheriff's Office in October of 1985. He attended the Basic Peace Officer's class #B4-87 at the Harris County Sheriff's Academy and graduated in December of 1987. He holds a Master Peace Officer certification, a TCLEOSE Instructor's License, and a Firearms Instructor License.

Lieutenant Gray was first assigned to the 1301 Jail Facility. In 1989, he transferred to the Rehab Center on Atascocita Rd. In late 1989, he transferred downtown and assisted in the opening of the refurbished 301 Jail Facility. In 1991, Gray transferred to the Patrol Bureau and was assigned to District 2, where he remained until 1997. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1997. As sergeant he was assigned to the 701 Jail Facility and the Emergency Response Team before returning to the Patrol Bureau. During this time, he was assigned to district's 2 and 3 until his promotion to Lieutenant.
Pictured are Lieutenant Gray and his wife Brenda. They have two daughters, Kelli 14 and Jaimie 12. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.
District IV welcomes Lieutenant Gray.



Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson

There is a familiar face in the Captain’s Office at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Clay Road Substation located at 16715 Clay Road.
Captain Cordova began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1982. His first assignment was to the Detention Bureau where he remained until 1984 when he transferred to the Patrol Division. His first patrol assignment was to District III which covered the Channel View, Baytown and Clear Lake areas. He remained there until 1989 when he transferred to the Motorist Assistance Program. In 1992 he was promoted to the rank of Detective and was assigned to Criminal Warrants, the Pawn Shop Detail and the Robbery Division. It was during this time that he was first assigned to District IV where he remained until his promotion to Sergeant in 1992. He returned to District IV as a Sergeant in 1996 and remained here until 1998 when he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. As a Lieutenant he was assigned to the Detention Bureau, the Public Services Bureau and the Inmate Processing Center. In 2003 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and remained at the Inmate Processing Center for eight months. Captain Cordova returned to District IV in 2004 and remained here until he was transferred to District II in the Humble area. In 2006, Captain Cordova returned to District IV in May, following the promotion of the previous Captain.
Captain Cordova is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has a Bachelor’s Degree from the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. He is the father of two daughters, Monica and Victoria.
Captain Cordova said he is “very glad to return to familiar territory”. He also said he plans to continue his commitment to make public safety his number one priority. District IV welcomes Captain Cordova back.

During the early morning hours of July 24th, 2005, Sergeant Dorothy Dehnert was on her way home from an extra job, traveling northbound on the Gulf Freeway. The sight of a vehicle narrowly missing a U-Haul van caught her attention. It was obvious to her that the driver was impaired, as he could not maintain the vehicle in a single lane. Using her cellular phone, Sergeant Dehnert contacted Houston Police Dispatch, relaying their ever changing location. She continued to observe from a safe distance as other innocent drivers escaped near misses.

The suspect vehicle eventually exited Allen Parkway, turning left onto Waugh Drive. It was during that turn, that the suspect driver almost collided with an HPD marked patrol car. That unit along with the help of Sergeant Dehnert, was able to get the suspect stopped and out of the car. It was very apparent at that time that the driver, identified as Wayne Dee Binford, was intoxicated. There was a male passenger in the vehicle, found also to be intoxicated. The men admitted to have been drinking at a club in Webster since noon, on the day before.

Binford, a Master Electrician, is no stranger to DWI’s. He was sentenced to DWI in 1982 and was convicted to 4 years TDC. He received another DWI conviction in 1989, pleading guilty and was sentenced to 2 years probation. The next conviction came in 1993, when Binford was sentenced to 9 years. However, the Katy resident won’t be home for some time. Judge Mantooth-Stricklin recently sent a message that DWI will not be tolerated in Harris County, sentencing Wayne Dee Binford to 30 years prison time.

The Exxon-Mobil Corporation held a Rape Aggression Defense class for some of its employees last month. The ladies were taught that being aware of their surroundings at all times is one of the most important things they can do to reduce the possibility of becoming the victim of an attack. They were also taught basic self defense techniques and given the opportunity to use those techniques in a controlled exercise on the last night of class.
Pictured are Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies J. Brown and P. Brown who are assigned to the Community Services Division, along with the proud graduates.
Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas offers the R.A.D. program to the public free of charge.


Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

The ladies of St. Justin’s Church know how important the Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) program is. They sponsor at least two classes a year and have waiting lists in just days following the announcement of an upcoming class. The students were taught that being aware of their surroundings was one of the most important things they could do to remove the “opportunity” needed for them to become the victim of an attack. They were also taught basic self defense techniques and given the opportunity to use those techniques in a controlled exercise on the last night of class.
Pictured are Harris County Sheriffs Deputies D. Esquivel and D. Johnson, assigned to the Patrol Support Services Division, and the proud graduates of their most recent class.
The R.A.D. program is actively supported by Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas who offers the class to the public free of charge.



Prepared By:
Deputy D.Johnson
Media Liaison

An employee from the Marathon Oil Company participated in a Rape Aggression Defense Class (R.A.D.) in her subdivision and told some of her co-workers about the experience. Many of the women expressed interest in the class. Since Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas has offered the classes to a variety of groups at various locations, a class was scheduled on site at Marathon Oil. The interest was so great that there was a waiting list of women wanting to take the class. Deputies F. Fisher and A. Cross taught the students basic self-defense tactics they could use should they become the victim of an attack. R.A.D. is also designed to heighten a woman’s awareness of her surrounding which reduces the opportunity of her becoming a victim.
The R.A.D. program is offered by the Sheriff’s Office to the public free of charge.

Deputy D. Johnson
District IV Media Liaison

Willowbrook Mall sponsored a salute to Law Enforcement on Saturday, May 6, 2006. Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies from the Patrol Support Services Bureau participated in the activities. Outside the mall, State Farm Insurance sponsored a Car Safety Seat Check where deputies from the Community Services Division checked car seats to insure they were correctly installed and offered assistance in making any necessary changes. As a rule, about 99% of car seats inspected are installed incorrectly. In some cases new seats were provided at no cost to the public. Deputies completed over 77 inspections.
Inside the mall, deputies representing Crime Prevention, D.A.R.E. and Storefronts offered “goodies” to both parents and children. The ever-popular Robot Gizmo was present to greet visitors. Other agencies participating included the Katy Independent School District Police, Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department, Harris County Constables, area Fire Departments and Texas Department of Corrections.



Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

Thursday May 4, 2006, Harris County Sheriff's Office District IV Deputies,assigned to the Community Services Division,sponsored a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class for the ladies of the Greater Rosehill Baptist Church. Deputies Coleen Fisher and Adell Cross taught the class with the assistance of Deputy Linda Harry. Deputies Anthony Lemon, Paul Brown and Brian Barrier also participated in the fight simulation as R.A.D. aggressors. The ladies were given the opportunity to use the skills they had learned in a controlled exercise. This class, offered to the public by Sheriff Tommy Thomas free of charge, gives women the opportunity to learn self-defense techniques and survival skills they can use should they become the victim of an attack.


Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

Each year The Katy Independent School District invites members of the community to “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” and trade places with a teacher or administrator. The participants are paired according to common interests and curriculum, giving each the opportunity to experience the workday of their partner. The business partners visit the teacher’s classroom for an hour and actually teach one of the day’s lessons. The business partners then arrange for the teacher to participate in their workday activities, as appropriate. The location of the host campus changes each year. Exley Elementary, located on Westheimer Parkway, was chosen to host this year’s event. Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy D. Esquivel, who is assigned to the Community Services Division, has participated in the program for the last five years and finds the experience very rewarding. This year, the Kindergarten class she was invited to teach was learning about butterflies. Deputy Esquivel read a story to the class and supervised as they colored a picture of a butterfly. She included an important lesson on gun safety, explained the function of each item on her gun belt and allowed time for the class to ask questions. The hour was over before either the class or Deputy Esquivel realized and clearly the class was disappointed to see her go.
The Katy Business Promise originally sponsored the Walk A Mile program, which began in 1997. The program is now coordinated by Katy ISD Partners in Education. The Katy community actively supports the program, as does the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.



Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies D. Esquivel and L. Harry who are assigned to the Mission Bend Store Front, participated in the MI Swaco Company’s Health Fair on Thursday, April 20, 2006. They provided informational pamphlets and answered questions about some of the many programs offered to the public by the Sheriff’s Office.



Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Adell Cross, who is assigned to the Community Services Division, is just one of many Deputies who teach Junior Achievement in area schools throughout Harris County. Junior Achievement is a program that consists of two thirty-minute sessions twice a week, in which the deputy teaches age and grade appropriate lessons. The kindergarten level is about “Ourselves”, the first grade level is about “Family”, and the second grade level is about “Community”.

During his last assignment, Deputy Cross taught Jr. Achievement at Petrosky Elementary, and was assigned to teach Ms Doyle’s second grade class. Because Deputy Cross has a great sense of humor and a love for teaching children, the second graders learned something new and had fun while doing it. It was also an opportunity for the students to have a positive experience with an officer in law enforcement that will leave a lasting impression. It was obvious that Deputy Cross made a connection with Ms. Doyle’s class because the day of graduation, all of the students were saddened that Deputy Cross would no longer be there to teach their weekly lessons.

The Junior Achievement Program is one of many programs that are offered by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office free of charge.




Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

The Kindergarten classes at Walnut Bend Elementary had a visit from Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy D. Esquivel on Thursday April 6, 2006. Deputy Esquivel, who is assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Community Services Division, was there to teach a very important lesson about gun safety. The students learned what they should do if they find a gun: Stop, Don’t Touch, Walk Away and Tell an Adult. The students then watched a short, animated video that reinforced those four things. This program is presented throughout the schools in Harris County by the Sheriff’s Office to reduce and hopefully prevent incidents involving children and guns.



Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

The Katy Elk’s Club, Lodge 2628, has named Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeurel Sims Officer of the Year for 2006. On June 11, 2005, Deputy Sims responded to a weapons disturbance involving a child who had been threatened by a neighbor with an unknown weapon. When Deputy Sims arrived, the complainant told him her seven-year-old son walks the family dog every night at about the same time. This time her son came running in the house shaking and screaming, “He’s trying to kill us”. When she was finally able to calm her son down, he told her a man with a big stick with a large object attached to it was standing on his porch yelling at him. The man continued to yell, telling the child he needed to go home. As the child turned to go home the man ran toward him yelling and swinging what was later identified as an axe over the child’s head. In fear for his life, the child ran home and told his mother what had happened. A witness told Deputy Sims he too was afraid the man was going to harm the child and that he recognized him as a neighbor. Deputy Sims was able to quickly locate the suspect and detain him before he was able to seriously harm anyone. The suspect was later charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
Deputy Sims has distinguished himself as an outstanding law enforcement officer worthy of this recognition. He is a true professional who presents a positive image to both the department and the community he has sworn to serve.


Prepared By:
Deputy D. Johnson
Media Liaison

Thursday, March 23, 2006, District IV Storefront Deputies sponsored a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) class at the Glencairn Community Center. There were 16 students in the class, including members of an area Girl Scout troop. The class was taught by two of the best R.A.D. instructors in the district, Deputies Paul Brown and Jan Brown. Upon conclusion of the class, students are given the opportunity to use the skills they learned in a controlled exercise. The deputies who participated in the fight simulations were A. Cross, A. Lemon and P. Roy. In addition to the deputies there were Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni members and a R.A.D. Grad there to help the students as they participated in the scenarios. These classes offer women the opportunity to learn self-defense techniques and survival skills they can use should they become the victim of an attack.

There could not have been better weather for the first annual Alief Community Festival. Deputies L. Harry and C. Fisher represented the Sheriff’s Office at this event sponsored by the Houston Community College Southwest and the Alief Community. The deputies passed out “goodie bags” to the kids, spoke to parents about safety issues and answered questions. The festival atmosphere allowed for positive contact between law enforcement and the public. There was live entertainment, free food and fun for all.

Saturday’s combined efforts between the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Community Services/ Store Front Deputies and the Shred-It Company was a tremendous success. With the alarming rise in the number of Identity Theft crimes, this event offered area residents a safe way to dispose of those old documents containing personal identification numbers that can leave them vulnerable should they fall into the wrong hands. There was a steady line of almost 100 cars throughout the day up until the last minutes of the event as area residents took advantage of this opportunity to have boxes of documents shredded free of charge. Members of the Sheriff’s Citizens Police Academy Alumni were present to hand out additional information about Identity Theft.

The next event will be held on Saturday, April 8, at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Substation located at 6831 Cypresswood. For additional information about this event call 281-537-9492.

On February 7, 2006, Deputy H. Quiroz spotted a vehicle without a front license plate in the 7000 Block of Eldridge in Southwest Harris County. As he followed the vehicle, the driver committed several other traffic violations before turning into a service station parking lot. Deputy Quiroz conducted a traffic stop that he thought would end with writing several traffic citations. This was not the case, far from it in fact.
When Deputy Quiroz completed his investigation he found two loaded handguns, 1904 grams of Ecstacy tablets,9.2 grams of marijuana, 38 grams of cocaine and $19,900 in cash. The suspect was charged with two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver.
Deputy Quiroz's instincts and attention to detail resulted in the arrest of this dangerous felon. He is to be commended for his performance.

Lieutenant Louis Guthrie reported for duty Friday, August 12, 2005, to the District IV Substation of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office located at 16715 Clay Road. He began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1991. He was assigned to the Detention Bureau until transferring to the Patrol Bureau, District III, where he spent five years as a patrolman. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was transferred to the Detention Bureau for one and a half years. He promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the Patrol Bureau, District I, for two years. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and is assigned to District IV. He will be responsible for the management of his Watch and the personnel under his command. Additionally, he will be responsible for investigating citizen complaints and other incidents occurring in his district.
Lieutenant Guthrie and his wife are the proud parents of an eighteen-month-old Basset Hound named Sarge.

District IV Sergeant Michael Harvey received a commendation from Sheriff Tommy Thomas for his role in the capture of a notorious felon. This suspect, who is believed to have been responsible for numerous aggravated robberies, had eluded law enforcement for some time. This proved no match for Sergeant Harvey. His attention to detail and keen observation skills paid off when he spotted a vehicle with two occupants who seemed nervous and appeared to sink down in their seats when he passed them. When the suspect was apprehended, it was discovered that he had committed another armed robbery, only moments before his capture.

The District IV Day Shift Supervisors have selected Deputy J. Parrish Deputy of the Shift for July 2005. On July 6, 2005, Deputy Parrish spotted a car matching the description of a vehicle used in a robbery that had just occurred in the area. He successfully detained the suspect who was later identified by the man he had attempted to rob. The suspect was armed with a shotgun and extra ammunition. This incident could have had a very different ending had it not been for Deputy Parrish’s keen observation and quick actions. There is no way to determine how many other victims there would have been had Deputy Parrish not located the suspect when he did.

The Williamsburg Hamlet Security Coordinator Patti Nelson presented Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Jimmy Byrd with a plaque, during the National Night Out festivities,in appreciation of the job he does keeping the streets of their neighborhood safe. The Harris County Mounted Patrol was on hand for the presentation.

There is a new Captain at the helm of the District IV Substation of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, located at 16715 Clay Road. District IV is pleased to announce that Captain Michael J. O’Brien has taken command of our district as of Saturday, July 30.
Captain O’Brien began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1980 and was assigned to the now defunct 301 Jail. In 1981 he transferred to the Patrol Bureau and was assigned to District III located in South Harris County. He was promoted in 1984 to the rank of Detective where he worked in Warrants, Burglary, Child Abuse and Sex Crimes until he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1989. As a Sergeant he was assigned to the Planning and Evaluations Bureau before returning to the Patrol Bureau, first in District IV for six months and then to District III. In 1995 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and was assigned to the 701 Jail Facility, the Patrol Bureau, and Human Resources Bureau.
While assigned to the Human Resou

The District IV Supervisors have named Deputy Willie Thornton Deputy of the Month for June 2005. When Deputy Thornton responded to a Criminal Trespassing call on March 8, 2005, he had no idea he was about to make an arrest that would result in the identification of a Sexual Assault suspect Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Detectives had sought since January of this year. The fingerprints taken, as the result of Deputy Thornton’s arrest of suspect Joel Briones, were entered into the AFIS System. The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Detectives received a confirmation of a match between Briones’ prints and the prints taken from one of their crime scenes. An interview with Briones conducted by Fort Bend Sheriff’s Detectives resulted in his confession in at least two Sexual Assaults and one Lewd Conduct. He is also a suspect in two cases in Harris County.
Deputy Thornton is to be commended for his professionalism and attention to duty. His actions thwarted this sexual predator’s attempt to lo

District IV Supervisors would like to commend Deputy Quiroz for his performance in the month of March 2005. Deputy Quiroz was instrumental in the capture of a notorious suspect who was wanted for several aggravated robberies in the Mission Bend area. This suspect is also believed to be responsible for numerous cases in Harris County, Fort Bend County and Houston.
Deputy Quiroz was also responsible for 11 misdemeanor arrests, 134 traffic stops, 44 citations for 74 violations, 34 warnings, 17 reports and was dispatched to 476 calls. Deputy Quiroz has distinguished himself as a true professional and presents himself with a positive image for both the Department and his community. Deputy Quiroz was also chosen as District IV's overall Deputy of the Month for his exceptional work performance.

Each year The 100 Club Of Houston selects twenty-five to thirty officers throughout Houston and the unincorporated areas of Harris County who go beyond the call of duty. Two of these officers are from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Patrol District IV.

Deputies Tim Bell and Joseph Smith received 100 Club Awards for rescuing a citizen in a perilous situation. The citizen they rescued had been involved in a traffic accident, which left his vehicle overturned in a ditch filled with water. With no regard for their own safety they managed to pull the citizen from his vehicle saving his life.

Deputies Bell and Smith, through clear thinking and fast action, were able to prevent injury and quite possibly loss of life. They have distinguished themselves as true professionals who are dedicated to the Sheriff’s Office and the community they are sworn to serve.

These deputies have proven themselves worthy of the recognition they have received from their supervisors and

The District IV day watch Supervisors have named Deputy Gale Johnson Deputy of the Month for April 2005. Deputy Johnson’s keen observation skills paid off when he noticed the nervous behavior of a driver as he was patrolling an area known for traffic violators. When he checked the license plate he found the vehicle had been reported stolen. With the assistance of other deputies he was able to conduct a felony traffic stop and take the two occupants into custody without incident.

Deputy Johnson has a positive attitude and a good work ethic. He is commended for his performance in the month of May.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and District IV would like to congratulate Captain Paul Cordova on the completion of his Bachelor’s Degree from the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. It should also be noted that he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Considering his busy schedule this was in no way an easy feat, balancing work, family and school. Captain Cordova’s next challenge will be to complete his Master’s Degree.

Two of District IV’s finest were promoted to the rank of Sergeant this week. Grady Castleberry and Darren Chambers were presented their badge and Identification by the Sheriff on April 18 and 19 2005. Grady has been assigned to District IV since February of 1996. He became a field-training officer in 2002. Darren transferred to District IV from District I in August of 2001. Congratulations are in order for both and we wish them the best of luck in their new assignments.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office would like to commend Deputy Jesus Marin for his performance in the month of February 2005. Deputy Marin has proven himself to be a hard worker. He was responsible for 158 calls for service, four arrests, 33 offence reports and 62 traffic citations.

Deputy Marin’s enthusiasm, positive attitude, and strong work ethic have distinguished him as a true professional. He presents a positive image for both the Sheriff’s Office and the community he has sworn to serve.

The District IV supervisors have named Deputy James Flynt nightshift Deputy of the Month for April 2005. A man with a knife, claiming he was going to commit suicide, had barricaded himself and his family in a bedroom of his residence. Once the family members were safely removed deputies attempted to convince the man to come out. Several unsuccessful attempts were made, using OC spray and simunitions. The man continued to behave in a threatening manner. He finally told deputies he would only surrender to one person, his cousin who works for the Sheriff’s Office, James Flynt. Deputy Flynt, who was off duty, was contacted and even though he had not had contact with the man in for several years, agreed to come talk to him. Deputy Flynt was able to take the man into custody without further incident.
Deputy Flynt responded without hesitation or question even though he was off duty at the time. Had it not been fro his assistance the outcome may have been very different. Deputy Flynt’s ac

On June 28, 2004, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an assault at a local bar located in the 17500 block of West Little York. The complainant stated he had been inside the bar for a while and when he left to retrieve his wallet from his vehicle he was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint by two men. One was described as a white male approximately 5’7”, 150pounds, wearing an orange “Astros “ cap and jersey. The second suspect was described as a Hispanic male approximately 6’2”, 180 pounds wearing a blue shirt and jeans. The complainant was stuck in the back of the head by an unknown object and was struck several more times after falling to the ground.

On July 1, 2004, Deputy B. Curtis responded to a meet the citizen call. When he arrived at the scene he was met by the complainant that was assaulted and robbed at the pub on West Little York. He told Deputy Curtis that he was approached by a witness and told that she may have seen on of the suspects that assaulted him on June 28, 2004. The witness was able to get the license plate of the vehicle in which he was riding. Deputy Curtis ran the license plate and found the vehicle registered to an address in West Harris County. Deputy Curtis asked the Complainant if he would accompany him to that address to verify the person was indeed one of the suspects. The Complainant agreed to do so. Deputy Curtis contacted his supervisor to inform him of his actions and ask for additional units to accompany him to the address. When they arrived at the address they found no one home, but as they were leaving the vehicle was spotted making a U-Turn. A traffic stop was initiated and the Complainant identified the suspect as one of the men that robbed him.

Due to Deputy Curtis diligence and quick action, this case was resolved, and the suspect apprehended.

The suspect was identified as David Balkum, 18 years of age of Houston. He was charged with Aggravated Robbery with a Deadly Weapon and is currently being held on $30,000.00 Bond.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office would like to commend Sgt. Joseph “Al” Blendermann for his outstanding services as the District IV Field Training Supervisor.
Sgt. Blendermann was appointed to the committee responsible for researching Tasers in May of 2003. The committee was established to review and make recommendations as to whether or not the Sheriff’s Office should authorize Tasers to be included as a form of non-lethal weapons arsenal. Since being chosen as a committee member, Sgt. Blendermann has personally met with the representatives of Taser International and volunteered to experience the debilitating effects of the Taser. After these initial meetings, Sgt. Blendermann wrote a proposal recommending that the Taser be adopted by the Sheriff’s Office. After receiving permission from the Patrol Bureau Major, Sgt. Blendermann wrote the initial request for the purchase of Tasers. In addition, Sgt. Blendermann made arrangements with Taser International to train Harris County

On April 17, 2004, at approximately 9:45 p.m., Harris County Sheriff`s Deputy K. Tarrance responded to 7315 Millbrea Lane in the Chimney Hills Subdivision in regards to a weapons disturbance. When Deputy Tarrance turned on Millbrea Lane, he saw a man in the street on his knees along with several other people standing around him. As it was dark, Deputy Tarrance utilized his patrol car’s spotlight to illuminate the scene. As he approached the man he noticed that he had blood on his face. Deputy Tarrance immediately notified Harris County Sheriff`s Office Dispatch and requested that EMS respond to the scene. In an effort to determine exactly what had occurred, Deputy Tarrance began questioning the group of people who were standing in the street. He was advised that there was a drive by shooting. As other deputies began to arrive, and witnesses were being questioned, Deputies were able to develop a description of the suspects and their fleeing vehicle. A BOLO (Be On the Look Out) broadcast was immediately made over the police radio with the suspect information.

With the information dispatched, Deputy B. Cross responded to the Jersey Acres Subdivision to search for the suspects. Deputy Cross quickly identified a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle parked on a side road with the parking lights on. As he approached the vehicle, the lights on the car were turned off and the vehicle sped away in an attempt to evade Deputy Cross. Deputy Cross was able to keep up with the fleeing vehicle until it stopped whereupon the three Hispanic male occupants jumped out of the car and ran away in different directions. Deputy Cross dispatched these actions to the responding patrol units. A perimeter was immediately established and all three suspects were quickly and safely apprehended. A shotgun was recovered in the back floorboard of the vehicle. After further investigation, it was determined that this drive by shooting was gang related. The suspects were identified as Omar Garcia, Francisco Soria, and Joseph Hernandez, all of Houston. Garcia and Soria are charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and held with No Bond. Hernandez was charged with Evading Arrest and held in lieu of a $5,000.00 bond.

District IV would like to commend Deputy B. Cross on his outstanding duty performance. His quick thinking and diligence were directly responsible for the apprehension of the suspects. Deputy Cross brings credit upon himself and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

On March 25, 2004, District IV, Field Taining Officer, Gary Rodgers, initiated a traffic stop after noticing the vehicle had an expired license plate. While interviewing the suspect, Deputy Rodgers noticed inconsistencies in his responses. After checking the suspect, identified as Vincent Lopez, on the car computer, he discovered Mr. Lopez matched the description of a fugitive murder suspect out of California. Deputy Rodgers was unable to make a positive identification given the information from the computer. He detained Mr. Lopez and transported him to the Clay Road Substation so he could be fingerprinted and his true identity verified. After fingerprinting Mr. Lopez, it was confirmed he was indeed the fugitive wanted for murder out of California. Modesto Police Department, Detective A. Brocchini, informed Deputy Rodgers he has been searching for Lopez for three years. Detective Brocchini also advised Deputy Rodgers that Lopez was wanted for a total fo seven drive by shooting