Christopher Cuadra and Luis Alexander Jesus
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department fired an Edinburg juvenile detention center employee on Monday and initiated termination procedures for another after both men were arrested this week and charged with using excessive force against a teenager.
The agency said it fired 24-year-old Edinburg resident Luis Alexander Jesus for cause and has suspended 28-year-old McAllen resident Christopher Cuadra without pay with plans to fire him.
An office with TJJD’s Office Inspector General arrested Jesus and Cuadra this week following an investigation into a June 18 incident in which a handcuffed 16-year-old’s head was slammed into a brick pillar at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center.
In a statement, TJJD interim executive director Sandra Carter said the agency does not condone the alleged actions of Jesus and Cuadra.
“Our agency does not condone any violent behavior toward the youth in our care. We are grateful to the agency’s Office of the Inspector General for investigating and pursuing this case and trust that justice will be served. We also would like to express our deep gratitude to staff who reported this incident and helped OIG investigators make this case.”
Jesus was charged with three counts of official oppression and one count of tampering with a government record, while Cuadra faces a charge of official oppression and a count of tampering with a government record.
An affidavit obtained by The Monitor alleges Jesus turned off his body camera prior to slamming the teen’s head into the pillar, which knocked the 16-year-old unconscious.
“The Defendant and Youth Development Coach … Christopher Cuadra attempted to escort the victim who was unable to walk on his own, and dropped the victim numerous times and occasionally dragged the victim on their way to the Regulation and Safety Unit, causing multiple cuts, bruising, and abrasions to the right hand,” the affidavit stated.
Jesus then spat on the teen, according to authorities.
Cuadra bailed out of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on a total of $20,000 in bonds on Thursday, while Jesus bailed out on a total of $60,000 in bonds on Friday, jail records indicate.
