Guerra
An Edinburg Police detention specialist who was arrested Saturday allegedly taunted a 16-year-old juvenile before slapping him across the face on Oct. 3, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Edinburg police jailer Roberto Guerra was arrested for official oppression this weekend and placed on leave without pay.
According to the affidavit, Investigations Division Sgt. Sandra Tapia testified on Oct. 8 that she learned Guerra was taunting the juvenile after reviewing Guerra’s bodycam and surveillance footage.
Guerra was allegedly asking the juvenile if he was crying, which further upset the juvenile.
“Throughout their contact, the juvenile began cursing at Guerra and Guerra was mocking the juvenile,” the document said. “Both continued to argue back and forth and [got] in each other’s face.”
The affidavit said the footage shows the juvenile was still handcuffed when Guerra slapped him across his left cheek with an open left hand. The juvenile then confronted Guerra about it.
According to assisting officer Christopher Martinez, who also testified, the juvenile then chest bumped Guerra, but Martinez intervened and grabbed the juvenile’s arm to pull him back.
Martinez added that the juvenile confronted Guerra a second time, and when Martinez approached him to pull the juvenile back once more, he heard what sounded like spitting and saw spit next to Guerra’s mouth.
The affidavit said the juvenile was also charged with harassment of a public servant.
Tapia later contacted staff at the Texas Department of Child and Protective Services and they provided an affidavit wishing to file charges on behalf of the juvenile against Guerra for slapping and mistreating him, the document said.
Guerra was booked on Saturday, almost a month after the incident, and released on a $2,500 bond.
