The driver of a stolen vehicle in Tuesday’s police-involved shooting at Porter Early College High School is a former Porter student, has a pending felony case in Cameron County and now faces bonds totaling $398,000 after his arraignment Wednesday morning in Brownsville Municipal Court, according to authorities.
Judge René E. De Coss set bonds for Rodrigo Rivera Jr., 18, of Brownsville, after finding probable cause on all charges against him, according to authorities. De Cos also found probable cause and set bonds totaling $7,000 for Carlos Castellano, 17, a Porter student who was being dropped off when the incident began at about 8:44 Tuesday morning, according to authorities.
Brownsville Police spokesman Martin Sandoval said the incident involved a gray 2011 Ford Focus that had been stolen between 2 and 3 a.m. Tuesday and was being driven recklessly in a Porter parking lot, resulting in shots fired, a police chase and the subsequent arrests of Rivera, Castellano, and a 16-year-old juvenile, who was in the car with Rivera as it left the school grounds and is being held at the Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Detention Center in San Benito.
Rivera was assessed bonds of $75,000 each on four counts of aggravated assault, two against a Brownsville Independent School District police officer and two against a BISD security officer, $75,000 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the car, $5,000 for possession of a controlled substance, synthetic marijuana, $10,000 for evading arrest with a vehicle, $3,000 for evading arrest on foot, and $5,000 for vehicle theft for a total of $398,000, according to authorities.
During the arraignment Rivera asked why he was being charged with assault with a deadly weapon when he didn’t have a gun.
De Cos allowed him to ask the question after first advising him that he had the right to remain silent and that what he might say could be used against him.
“I didn’t have no weapon, the BISD officer he shot the gun. I didn’t have no weapon, why am I being charged with a deadly weapon?” Rivera asked.
A court-appointed attorney answered that a car could be considered a deadly weapon, with De Cos saying now wasn’t the best time to discuss “the finer points regarding the use of your vehicle” and that he had already found probable cause in the case.
Outside the courtroom, Sandoval clarified that the information that Brownsville police received was that shots had been fired and that’s why the case is being considered an officer-involved shooting.
“A vehicle, in the way it was used, especially driving recklessly in the parking lot where there are students, staff, there are other people and he almost ran over all these other people, that vehicle is considered a deadly weapon,” Sandoval said.
As to how many shots were fired and by whom, Sandoval said that’s all “information we will clarify later. … That aspect of the case is still being investigated. We still have to get the summary statements from the officers, plus their reports and the video to put in the package” for eventual submission to District Attorney Luis V. Saenz for prosecution.
Castellano was assessed bonds of $5,000 for vehicle theft and $2,000 for possession of a controlled substance, Xanax.
In reviewing the probable cause affidavits before assessing the bonds, De Cos said the presence of a controlled substance on a school campus was concerning.
He said the juvenile suspect would likely face charges and bonds similar to Rivera since he was in the car with him when they fled the suspect vehicle at an abandoned building near Lincoln Street and McDavitt Boulevard and were captured.
In Rivera’s case De Cos said that the violations being charged were allegedly committed while Rivera was out on bond in another felony case contributed to the high bonds.
“The court understands Mr. Rivera’s situation with regard to his age and possibly his hard time posting a bond. However, there are other overriding factors such as the safety of the community,” De Cos said.
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