Category: San Antonio News

The City of Boerne is taking a proactive approach to address a trend they have been tracking regarding mental health calls Boerne police have been experiencing.

Rebecca Foley, the former community outreach intervention program officer, is now taking on a new role as a mental health officer starting in January.

Foley’s job will be to connect people facing a mental health crisis with resources.

“Crisis calls, they’re really intense at the moment. We usually send two officers to calls like that,” she said.

Police can place those facing a crisis in emergency detention to get them help. Foley will then follow up with those individuals after they are released to see what additional services they might need.

Foley, a former firefighter and paramedic, has a master’s in criminal justice. She says that experience has helped her to prepare for this job. But she wants to take it to the next level and is currently working on a master’s in mental health counseling at Texas A&M.

Foley says talking about mental wellbeing is important to ensure that officers and the community are healthy.

“I’m dedicated to their mental health and to their wellness. If [officers] are not good, we’re not going to be good for the people in our community,” Foley said.

Boerne Police Department has about 43 officers on staff. Foley’s position is a pilot program. The department will assess how the program does and what else is needed to help the community.

A man is in custody after holding a machete to a woman’s throat and robbing a store on the West Side, according to San Antonio Police.

The incident happened around 9:53 a.m. on Nov. 13 at the Fallas Paredes Discount Store located in the 100 block of South Zarzamora Street.

An arrest affidavit states Rigoberto Hernandez, 37, walked into the store and began a conversation with two women and two other customers.

Hernandez told them he had recently moved from Austin, and his wife was interested in working for the store, police said. He then asked for an application for his wife, and one of the women gave him one.

Police said after the two other customers left the store, Hernandez began “aggressively yelling ‘Miss’ at one of the women in an attempt to get her attention when her back was turned to him.”

When she turned around, Hernandez approached her, grabbed her from behind, and wrapped his arm around her neck to put her in a chokehold. Authorities said he used his other arm to hold a machete to the woman’s throat.

Authorities said Hernandez began yelling, “I will kill her” and demanded the other woman go into the employee office. He then forced the other woman to walk into the office as well and demanded money from inside the store’s safe.

Both women gave Hernadez the money from inside the safe and the store registers. Police said he fled the scene on foot.

Authorities were able to obtain Hernandez’s fingerprints from the employment application and several other items he touched.

On Nov. 23 Investigators say they were able to match the fingerprints with a person arrested under the alias “Francisco Bojado Arevalos.”

Police were also able to identify Hernandez using a photo of him in a lineup where he was positively ID’d.

Hernandez was arrested on Monday and is facing two counts of aggravated robbery. His bond is set at $75,000, court records show.

More on KSAT:

BCSO releases body-cam video of fatal shooting involving deputies, Damien DanielsGrand jury declines to indict Bexar County deputy in fatal shooting of veteran Damian Daniels

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on Monday released body-cam footage of a fatal shooting involving three deputies and a veteran who was suffering from a mental heath crisis.

The public release of the video came about an hour after the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office announced that a grand jury declined to indict Deputy John Rodriguez, who shot and killed Damian Daniels on August 25, 2020 outside his home in the 11000 block of Liberty Field during a mental health check. Deputies Enrique Cepeda and Michelle Garriffa were also involved in the incident, BCSO said.

The shooting sparked criticism from Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and led to a new program designed to better respond to mental health calls.

According to BCSO, the video shows the shooting of Daniels, deputies speaking to him and 911 calls.

Click here to view the video, which contains graphic content and foul language. Viewer discretion is advised.

According to a news release, all the materials presented in the video have been redacted and edited in an effort to protect privacy rights and to avoid the release of information that state law prohibits the department from releasing. Such redactions or edits do not affect the depiction of events presented in this video, BCSO said.

The video release comes after Sheriff Javier Salazar and the Bexar County Commissioners Court agreed to updating body-cam technology and software that will allow BCSO to redact and release body-worn camera footage of critical incidents to the public within 10 days.

BCSO said it is adopting best practices used by other large agencies in Texas, such as the Austin Police Department, when releasing body-cam footage.

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Most area highways slipped in the latest ranking of the most congested roadways in Texas, reflecting disruptions in traffic patterns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The biggest change we saw in 2020 was that some commute trips weren’t made because — to work from home,” said David Schrank, senior research scientist for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). “And so, you had areas that are normally higher and ranks in San Antonio that eased up — U.S. 281, I-10, parts of (Loop) 410, (Loop) 1604 and (I-)35 north — where a lot of trips are made into San Antonio for work weren’t happening.”

TTI’s annual study used data from Texas Department of Transportation traffic counts and the analytics firm INRIX from the 2020 calendar year. The formula was slightly adjusted, making a direct comparison to the previous year a little tricky.

Eight San Antonio roadways made the top 100 list:

35) Loop 1604 between U.S. 281 and I-10

38) I-35 between Loop 1604 and NE Loop 410

41) Loop 1604 between I-10 and Braun Road

49) Loop 410 between U.S. 281 and I-10

52) U.S 281 between Loop 1604 and Stone Oak Parkway

56) I-35/I-10 between I-37 to U.S. Highway 90

61) I-35 between Loop 410 NE and Loop 410

68) Loop 410 between U.S. 281 and I-35

One roadway made the top 100 list for truck or freight traffic — I-35 on the Northeast Side.

“It kind of feeds into San Antonio and then it all sort of bleeds out into the various interstates and roads in San Antonio that that may have distribution centers, warehouses and things like that, where these truck trips are beginning or ending or going on to places like Corpus or Laredo,” Schrank said.

The I-35 Northeast Expansion project aims to reduce congestion by creating express lanes for traffic passing through the area. Construction is expected to start next year.

“Anything we can do to smooth those flows to get the trucks either separated somewhat from the auto trips or just to make everything work better and safer is going to improve traffic and performance in the San Antonio region,” Schrank said.

Traffic is already returning to pre-pandemic volumes. Even with more telework in the future, the state’s rapid population growth will continue to strain its infrastructure, according to Schrank.

The Texas Legislature mandated the annual list in 2009. The rankings factor into analysis for road projects as part of the Texas Clear Lanes Initiative.

While San Antonio had fewer roadways in the top 100, six highways in the Laredo area joined the list.

The congestion is likely related to the fact that fewer workers in the area can do their jobs at home and the large presence of distribution facilities in the region, Schrank said.

Have questions about transportation or traffic? Let us know, and your answer may be our next story. Find past answers on our traffic page.

The announcement last week that the University of Texas at San Antonio had earned the coveted Carnegie Tier One status was in response to the university’s level of research activity and the number of doctoral degrees awarded.

“It makes us a public research-intensive institution with societal impact,” said Bernard Arulanandam, UTSA vice president of research, economic development and knowledge enterprise.

Arulanandam said, over the last five years, research expenditures have steadily increased by 106%, from $68 million in FY 2017 to $140 million in FY 2021.

In addition, Arulanadam said, UTSA faculty received more than 300 funding grants in five years. He also said the university’s enrollment in the doctoral program had increased by nearly 20%, and last year, 153 doctoral degrees were awarded.

UTSA is among only about 20 campuses nationally that are Hispanic serving institutions and have Tier One status.

“It really shows the caliber of a faculty, world-class, the caliber of our great students,” Arulanandam said.

Arulanandam said many of UTSA’s students are the first generation in their families to attend an institution of higher learning.

By going to a Tier One university “in their own backyard”, he said students would have the opportunities they need to reach their career goals.

“They don’t have to look elsewhere,” he said.

Arulanandam said Tier One also produces a highly talented workforce for San Antonio.

“It also increases our overall economic competitiveness,” he said.

Joanne Turner, PhD, executive vice president for research at Texas Biomedical Research Institute, issued the following statement regarding UTSA’s Tier 1 status:

“The Tier 1 designation applies to UTSA, but it benefits everyone in the region currently connected to the biosciences. Having a local university in this category elevates our city and shows a solid and serious commitment to high-quality research. Texas Biomed already has several key partnerships with UTSA and this will allow those to expand and strengthen. The more partnerships we build, the better our overall reputation becomes – which can really help in our shared goal of continuing to recruit top scientists to the city.

“UTSA has been building a robust teaching and research portfolio over the last several years and has demonstrated 20 percent growth in its doctoral program. This award reflects and recognizes those investments. We at Texas Biomed are excited about the continued collaborative efforts that will leverage even more connections and grow the San Antonio economy.”

When it comes to last-minute holiday shopping, don’t just shop for a good deal online.

The Better Business Bureau reports nearly 300 customers have complained about GoTrax’s products, including electric scooters and bikes and hoverboards.

Tanisha Nixon reported her case to the BBB after purchasing an electric scooter for adults from GoTrax through Amazon.

“That’s another reason why I went with that company, because they have adult scooters like (the ones) you see downtown,” Nixon said. “It was that kind of scooter, electric. It had a speedometer, a headlight, a radio, you know. It was a nice scooter.”

Months later, the nearly $300 electric scooter stopped working.

“It started having some technical issues,” Nixon said. “I reached out to the company, and, you know, they requested the receipt and things like that.”

Screenshots show that Nixon sent the receipt and pictures of the scooter to the company. She said the product had been collecting dust in her garage.

“I would email them, and they would email me back, (asking me to) send pictures. So I would send them the pictures, and then they would email me back. So it was just like a vicious cycle.”

Nixon eventually lost hope and reported the company to BBB.

“GoTrax is a company that we received wind of back in May,” said Jason Meza, the BBB’s regional director of San Antonio.

Meza said, on average, customers pay $180 to $200 for a GoTrax product, but when hundreds of customers report not receiving a product or getting a faulty one without a refund or response, the BBB said it is considered a scam. The BBB’s website currently reports 286 complaints where consumers reported little to no relief.

(With) a hoverboard, you’re only losing the face value of the product. (They are not) a company that keeps going back for more (money),” Meza said. “They try to promise you the world, and you just don’t end up getting anything.”

It’s a pattern happening more often, especially during the holidays.

“Every in-demand product and every season holiday season, there is that one product everybody wants,” Meza said. “We see a lot of retailers (trying to get it out of stock and) a lot of shady retailers at the same time.”

According to GoTrax’s website, they are an American-based company and “continually take customer feedback to redesign and improve them.” However, Meza said the BBB has yet to establish contact with GoTrax.

“There are consumers, victims, from over 41 states across the nation. So, it’s an emerging scam,” Meza said. “For this particular company and many others, I mean, it’s tough because, you know, you could be dealing with a retailer not even based in America. If that’s the case, then prosecution is few and far between.”

The BBB states victims should start a paper trail of communication with the company and report it to several agencies, including the BBB, the Federal Trade Commission and the State Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.

“We can help lead prosecutors in the right direction,” Meza said. “But in the end, the consumer is left to play defense to know the warning signs before they go into a shady retailer’s situation.”

When shopping during the holidays and for in-demand products, customers should thoroughly read the reviews for the product, use online tools to research the company and carefully read through the company’s website.

“If the website has grammatical errors, they’re just missing contact information (or) it’s just a form you fill out and there’s no email address (or) phone number, be highly leery that it could be a shady retailer online,” Meza said.

Another safety factor is your method of payment. GoTrax lists cash apps as a form of valid payment on its website. However, the BBB urges shoppers to use a credit card.

“The best valid way to enter payment with a retailer online is through credit card,” Meza said. “You’re using a merchant, a third-party merchant who is in their best interest to stop a payment if they encounter fraud. Within 60 days (and) over $50, by law, the credit company has to help you dispute that charge or fight the charge.”

To report a scam to the BBB, click here.

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Employment scams on the rise, BBB San Antonio warns

A single father who’d been living in a van with his five children is among 538 unhoused individuals and families no longer out on the streets.

“It was the best thing that could happen to me,” said Jose Gomez, now that Child Protective Services has allowed him to have his children back because SAMMinistries found him an apartment for his family.

SAMMinistries is one of 25 nonprofits and agencies that took on the challenge of housing 500 people by the end of the year.

“We’ve exceeded that goal ahead of December 31, so we’re super excited,” said Nikisha Baker, president and CEO of SAMMinistries.

The City of San Antonio and the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless launched the Housing Surge Initiative in response to the critical needs of those experiencing homelessness.

In a news release, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said their combined efforts had accomplished “a truly remarkable goal.”

Nirenberg said, “This achievement represents an important milestone in house goal to re-house 1,500 households as part of the national House America Initiative.”

SARAH spokesman Billy Mahone III said the concerted effort was made possible in large part because of “unprecedented federal funding” during the pandemic.

Mahone gave two examples, $7million in funding for “rapid rehousing” and more than $1million in emergency housing vouchers.

As a result, the rent for Gomez’s apartment is covered by SAMMinistries. The single dad is disabled and relies on Social Security.

Mahone said the effort also involved expediting the housing process, like the ID recovery process and working closely with landlords.

As a result of the housing surge initiative, Mahone said, “We expect to help around 100 households and families more than we would during a typical five-month period.”

Baker said the goal was “to show our community that we really are making a difference, that we really are having an impact. And if more investments are made, how much more can we do?”

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City sets 10-year goal of producing, preserving 28,049 affordable housing units

A Bexar County sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed a veteran suffering a mental health crisis will not face criminal charges after a grand jury declined to indict him, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office confirmed on Monday.

Damian Daniels was shot and killed outside his home by Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Deputy John Rodriguez on Aug. 25, 2020 during a mental health check in the 11000 block of Liberty Field. The shooting sparked criticism from Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and sparked a new program designed to better respond to mental health calls.

The case was presented to a grand jury by the Bexar County District Attorney’s Civil Rights Division. After reviewing the evidence presented to the panel, the grand jury issued a “no bill of indictment,” clearing Rodriguez of criminal charges. Officials said a detailed memo “explaining the facts and laws considered in this case” will be posted on the civil rights division website on Tuesday.

“The death of Mr. Daniels was tragic. This country needs to do a better job of helping those in mental health crisis,” Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said in a statement. “We have reviewed the video with the Daniels family and have informed them of the Grand Jury’s decision. As I have stated in the past, every officer-involved shooting in Bexar County resulting in serious injury or death will be decided by a Grand Jury.”

Daniels’ family had previously called on authorities to release body camera footage of the incident. They had also called for the resignation of Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar over “material misrepresentations” after he released still images of the struggle.

Salazar said Daniels was erratic and began to reach for a gun in his waistband, leading to a physical struggle that Salazar said lasted for longer than two minutes before Rodriguez opened fire.

Though Salazar said he was “not happy” with the outcome of Daniels’ death, he said he was “in awe” of the level of restraint his deputies showed before the fatal shooting.

But Brendan Daniels said deputies initiated the physical confrontation first by trying to reach over and grab his brother’s gun.

“All of that was untrue,” Brendan Daniels said. “My brother never became aggressive. He never reached for his weapon. When (Deputy Enrique Cepeda) reached for his weapon, my brother put his hand over the gun so that it would not come out of the holster so that it would not endanger himself.”

About an hour after the announcement of the grand jury decision, BCSO released the video. According to BCSO, the video shows the shooting of Daniels, deputies speaking to him and 911 calls.

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