Officer on leave as San Marcos investigates actions during arrest

San Marcos police officials have put an officer on leave while investigating his actions during the March arrest of a father and son, city officials say.

Officer Jaciel Cortina was placed on administrative leave effective April 10, "following a preliminary review of the arrests of Esteban Reyes and Gerardo Gonzalez Reyes on March 14," the city said in a written statement.

"Any further action will be determined by the findings of an ongoing internal investigation," the city said.

San Marcos' statement said the city "will not have any additional information to provide at this time."

According to Hays County court records, Esteban Reyes, 17, and Gerardo Reyes, 44, were arrested on charges of interference with public duties, a Class B misdemeanor.

Local advocacy groups have criticized the arrests and called for the release of the officer's body camera footage from the March incident.

Mano Amiga, a San Marcos nonprofit, said Esteban was driving his father's car when he was stopped by police in response to a report of a missing 15-year-old girl in a red truck. The girl was not actually missing, the group said.

Officers ordered Esteban out of the car, Mano Amiga said. "When he questioned the reason for the stop, officers attempted to forcibly remove him. His father, Gerardo Reyes, a passenger in the vehicle, intervened to protect his son," the group said.

The two were arrested and charged, and Gerardo Reyes was transferred to ICE custody, the group said.

"My father remains in detention, sleep deprived, separated from his family and suffering the consequences of actions he did not commit," his daughter, Lupe Sarinana, said in a statement released through the nonprofit Caldwell/Hays Education Fund. "Paid leave is not accountability. It is protection. Meanwhile, my father is paying the price with his freedom, his health and our family's stability," she said.

The advocacy groups are calling for his release, the dismissal of the charges against both Esteban and Gerardo, and the release of body camera footage from every officer present at the arrest.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra has also called on the city to release the body camera footage.

"Given the impact on those involved and the community interest, the voluntary release of body camera footage could provide helpful transparency about what occurred and how decisions were made," Becerra said in a written statement. "A clear understanding of the facts will help ensure public confidence moving forward."

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