A former Alamo city commissioner was arrested early Wednesday morning after he allegedly struck another driver and attempted to flee the scene.
Eleazar Escobedo was charged with driving while intoxicated for the fourth time and also with accident involving damage.
He bailed out on a total of $1,500 bonds the following day.
Alamo police were dispatched to the 300 block of North 7th Street at 3:24 a.m. Wednesday in reference to a collision. When the responding officer arrived, a gray Ford F-150 was seen traveling northbound away from the area.
The officer pursued the suspect vehicle and another officer arrived at the scene to assist.
The second officer made contact with the driver of a 2017 Honda Accord, who had been traveling with a woman. The driver told police that he had been traveling southbound on the 300 block of North 7th Street when his vehicle was struck on the front left side by the suspect vehicle.
The driver told police that the driver left the scene without sharing any information.
An ambulance was dispatched for medical services because the airbags were deployed during the collision. The driver and the passenger were transported to a local hospital, however the affidavit does not describe their injuries. It does, however, indicate that the damage to the Honda Accord was a total loss, estimated to be around $10,000.
According to the affidavit, the first officer conducted a traffic stop on the truck near the 600 block of Citrus Avenue and saw Escobedo, a former city commissioner and mayor pro tem, exit the vehicle with “an unsteady balance.”
The officer said Escobedo exhibited a strong odor of alcohol, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Escobedo initially told the officer he was coming from Pharr, but later said he had been at a bar in Alamo.
When asked if he had been involved in a collision, Escobedo said he had not. The officer then questioned Escobedo about how many drinks he’d had. Escobedo initially said that he’d consumed one beer, but then said he’d consumed two or three Bud Lights.
According to the affidavit, Escobedo refused to participate in a standardized field sobriety test and provide a breath specimen. He was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and transported to the city of Alamo jail for booking.
Escobedo was issued a $1,000 bond for driving while intoxicated and a $500 bond for an accident involving damage to a vehicle.
Jail records show Escobedo has had multiple DWI charges against him dating back to August 18, 2013, when he was mayor pro tem. Records show the former commissioner was also charred with DWI on May 25, 2014 and August 19, 2018.
While he’s been arrested four times for driving while intoxicated, according to jail records, only two criminal cases have been brought against the former elected official.
His first from 2013 was dismissed, but the record doesn’t indicate why. His most recent case from 2018 is ongoing, records show.
Monitor staff writer Mark Reagan contributed to this report.
