The McAllen Police Department this week arrested a 44-year-old Mission man over accusations he fabricated a story about a partially nude woman running from people while he was working as a security guard at a goods warehouse.
Orlando Delgado was charged with false report over the alleged story police say he made at approximately 7:53 p.m. on Oct. 6 while he was at work at the warehouse in the 3700 block of west Military Highway, which is in close proximity to the border.
“Mr. Delgado dialed 911 and reported seeing a female trying to get into their facility for the past 5 minutes. Mr. Delgado stated the female was partially nude, had dry blood on her nose and mouth,” an affidavit said. “He also stated the female said in Spanish ‘their (sic) coming’ and took off running southbound on Ware Road towards the railroad tracks.”
Two police units and EMS were dispatched to the area and began to search for the woman, police said.
The following day, Oct. 7, detectives followed up with Delgado over the phone and at his place of employment where Delgado gave a description of the woman, investigators said.
“He also stated the female’s pupils were dilated,” the affidavit said. “While at his security post Mr. Delgado pointed to Detective Ayala where the female had been standing across the street and how he had walked up to the security fence to see the dry blood on her nose and mouth, tattoo on her left arm and dilated pupils.”
When detectives asked Delgado about the camera facing the gate that would have captured the woman, Delgado said the camera had not been recording for over two weeks, according to police.
In response to his report, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter searched the air and ground for over 45 minutes, but never found the woman, according to the affidavit.
At the time, investigators believed an unknown woman in distress might still be in the wooded area on the border.
However, detectives later learned that the camera was indeed recording and that the videos don’t show anyone walking, running or crawling south on Ware Road as reported by Delgado, according to the report.
“Mr. Delgado is never seen talking or looking at any female or person before calling 911 as reported by him,” the affidavit said. “He is only seen coming out of the security building already on his cell phone calling 911.”
The only people seen in the video are McAllen police officers and EMS.
Investigators say they tried to interview Delgado at the police station, but he did not show up. Officers then obtained a warrant for his arrest on Nov. 24.
He was booked into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday and bailed out Thursday on a $5,000 bond.
