By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A Del Rio man facing criminal charges of making a false report, harassment and making
a terroristic threat was rearrested earlier this month after he failed to show up for a court
date in late September.
The man, Arturo Rodriguez, 58, was charged in 2024 with the
misdemeanor offenses of
making a false report to a peace officer, making a terroristic threat against a public
servant and two counts of harassment.
According to records filed in the county clerk’s office, the false report charge stems from
an October 2023 incident in which Rodriguez allegedly made a false statement to a Texas
Ranger, telling the Texas Ranger that a Del Rio Police Department captain had grabbed
Rodriguez by the arm and placed two hands on Rodriguez, causing Rodriguez pain.
The terroristic threat charge stems from an email Rodriguez allegedly sent to County
Attorney David Martinez over a separate criminal case in which Rodriguez had claimed
to be the victim of an assault and from a phone call Rodriguez made to the FBI about the
case.
The two counts of harassment stem from multiple phone calls and voicemail messages
Rodriguez allegedly made to two Texas Department of Public Safety employees.
The cases against Rodriguez began making their way through the county judicial system
after the false statement case was transferred from 63 rd Judicial District Court to the Val
Verde County Court-At-Law by the order of 63 rd Judicial District Judge Roland Andrade.
In December 2024, County Court-At-Law Judge Sergio Gonzalez voluntarily recused
himself from the case and requested the appointment of another judge.
Also in December 2024, Stephen B. Ables, presiding judge of the Sixth Administrative
Judicial Region, assigned Judge Walden E. Shelton Jr. to preside over the Rodriguez
case. Shelton is the former County Court Judge of the Bexar County Court-At-Law No.
9.
In January, Shelton appointed Eagle Pass attorney Jad Powers Harper to represent
Rodriguez.
Harper filed a variety of motions on Rodriguez’s behalf, many of them typical in criminal
cases prior to trial, including a motion for discovery requesting the names of witnesses
that might be called in the case, statements used in the case, official reports,
photographic, audio and video evidence and physical evidence, as well as other motions.
In August, Harper filed a motions to dismiss the cases against Rodriguez, saying there
was not sufficient evidence to continue prosecution of the case and noting of the
harassment cases, “Defendant (Rodriguez) would show that he was exercising his right as
a citizen and attempting to file a formal complaint against a peace officer and to obtain
information regarding said complaint and denies that his conduct rose to the level of
harassment as alleged in the criminal complaint.”
Shelton denied Harper’s motion to dismiss and set the cases for trial during the last week
of October.
In mid-September, Harper filed another motion, this one asking that he be allowed to
withdraw as Rodriguez’s attorney and asking the judge to appoint a new attorney to
represent Rodriguez.
In his motion, Harper wrote, “Good cause exists for withdrawal as counsel in that movant
(Harper) is unable to effectively communicate with Arturo Rodriguez, so as to be able to
adequately represent defendant (Rodriguez).”
Shelton granted Harper’s motion to withdraw as counsel and set a “live-in person”
hearing on the motion for Sept. 29.
Shelton granted Harper’s motion to withdraw and appointed San Antonio attorney
Alfredo Mares to represent Rodriguez.
According to documents in the criminal files at the county clerk’s office, Rodriguez did
not show up for the hearing, and Shelton issued capias warrants for Rodriguez’s arrest.
The judge also set $10,000 bond on three of the four cases, and a “no bond” on the
fourth.
Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez confirmed the warrants for Rodriguez’s
arrest were sent to his office, and he said he asked his criminal investigations division to
coordinate with the U.S. Marshal’s Service in serving them.
Rodriguez was arrested at his residence in north Del Rio on the afternoon of Oct. 2.
The county attorney pro-tem who is in charge of prosecuting the cases, Assistant Kinney
County Attorney Anton E. “Tony” Hackebeil, also filed a motion asking the judge to
order Rodriguez to undergo a competency evaluation. The judge granted the motion and
called on a San Antonio psychologist to perform the evaluation. It is unknown whether or
not that evaluation has been conducted.
As of Monday morning, Rodriguez remained in custody at the Val Verde County
Detention Center.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
