Posted on 01/26/2008 10:59:43 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Police say Ortiz Sanchez promised to take care of fines
HARLINGEN — A woman arrested last week on multiple outstanding warrants skipped out on at least two promises to settle those stacks of warrants since 2006, Police Chief Danny Castillo said Thursday.
Harlingen police arrested Valerie Ortiz Sanchez, 31, in 2006 and 2007, Castillo said as he pulled police reports from a manila folder about an inch thick.
At the time of the 2006 arrest, Ortiz Sanchez had 42 outstanding warrants for her arrest, Castillo said.
She was arrested again on Jan. 14 on 76 outstanding warrants that had accumulated more than $18,000 in fines, according to a police report.
Despite several attempts to contact her at her home, Ortiz Sanchez could not be reached for comment.
Castillo said Ortiz Sanchez was arrested on Aug. 3, 2006, by Officer Salvador Carmona, who reported he stopped her after she ran a stop sign.
A dispatcher’s call to Municipal Court at that time showed she had 42 outstanding warrants, Castillo said.
After posting bond, Ortiz Sanchez entered into an agreement with the court to settle her fines, Castillo said. As part of the agreement, the court “inactivated” the warrants so she wouldn’t be arrested during the period in which she promised to settle fines, Castillo said.
“They were working to take care of her responsibilities,” Castillo said.
Then on Feb. 2, 2007, Officer Ricardo Villarreal arrested Ortiz Sanchez on a theft charge, Castillo said.
Castillo refused to disclose details of the charge, requiring the Valley Morning Star to file a request for the information under the Texas Open Government Act.
At the time of her arrest, her 42 warrants remained “inactivated,” Castillo said.
She promised to work to settle her fines, he said.
On Oct. 11, 2007, the court “re-activated” the warrants for Ortiz Sanchez’s arrest, he said.
Court Administrator Cindy Weaver could not speak about the Ortiz Sanchez case but said warrants are “re-issued” when defendants fail to honor promises made to the court.
Carmona was the arresting officer on Jan. 14, when he spotted an expired registration sticker on her car, Castillo said. Ortiz Sanchez was the driver of the car, and a dispatcher’s check with Municipal Court found she had 76 outstanding warrants, according to the police report.
“A lot of those (warrants) were additional warrants for not living up to her obligations to the court,” Castillo said of the warrants Ortiz Sanchez racked up since Oct. 11, 2007. Many likely stemmed from her failure to appear in court, he said.
Ortiz Sanchez appeared before Municipal Court Judge Valerie Garcia on Jan. 15. Garcia set a personal recognizance bond at $1,000 for driving without a valid license and $1,500 as a minimum payment on the outstanding warrants, according to authorities.
Garcia dismissed some of the oldest warrants, leaving Ortiz Sanchez with a total of $15,696 in fines and fees, officials said.
Ortiz Sanchez was arrested by San Benito police when she was released from the Harlingen jail, on 10 outstanding warrants in that city, officials said.
She was held in the city jail until Jan. 17, when San Benito officials released her after she paid $2,718 in fines, officials said.
Now, Cameron County authorities want to arrest her on outstanding warrants in Harlingen, San Benito, La Feria and Brownsville, said Jacob Borjas, a county warrant officer.
She owes about $3,000 in fines for violations committed at various locations outside the city limits, San Benito Justice of the Peace David Garza said.
OK, still waiting for the other shoe to drop...
Was she an illegal alien?
Valle ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
Not that I’ve heard.
Have never heard, but given her record it makes no difference, deport her. LOL
Pining for Shira law
Sell her car and apply the funds to her fines. While she walks, she can recall with pleasure how she bamboozled these pathetic Latino Barney Fifes all these years.
Take her to the local swamp and put a couple of .22’s behind her ear. Then the problem will be solved.
Damn! What sentence pronounce for jaywalking?
Warrant woman fails to appear in court
January 29, 2008 -
http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/court_18367___article.html/warrants_ortiz.html
She’s a doozey! Wonder who or what she knows?
She can’t drive in Cameron County too many times more since nearly every PD in the county has her on their list. Those PD’s can’t be too happy having her giving them the one fingered salute.
Will a judge ever let her out on bail again?
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