RAYMONDVILLE — Former three-time state candidate Vanessa Tijerina is facing a drunk driving charge while on probation following several arrests during the last five years.
Tijerina was released Wednesday afternoon from the Willacy County Jail after posting $500 bail following her arraignment before Justice of the Peace Rudy Cantu, who had set bond at $5,000, a jail officer said Thursday.
On Tuesday night, a state trooper arrested Tijerina on State Highway 186, charging her with driving while intoxicated, Sgt. Maria Montalvo, a spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said.
At about 9:30 p.m., Tijerina called police for help, Montalvo said.
“She called, stating she was involved in a crash,” she said. “Based on the trooper’s investigation, there was no crash.”
On Thursday, Tijerina, a nurse, could not be reached for comment.
The arrest came while Tijerina was on probation, Tobin Lefler, director of the Cameron and Willacy County adult probation department, said.
Tijerina’s probation stems from a family law case, in which the court restricted her contact with her ex-husband and children, he said.
“It’s more of a family law case,” Lefler said. “It’s not a criminal case.”
In the case, the court ordered restrictions regarding Tijerina’s contact with her ex-husband and children, he said.
In July 2020, Tijerina was arrested for violation of a protective order, a media report shows.
For years, Tijerina has run for local and state offices.
Earlier this year, she was among six Democrats running for District 15’s congressional seat.
In 2020, the Republican Party refused to support Tijerina during her campaign for District 27 state senator’s post.
“Due to multiple arrests and shocking evidence of driving under the influence, using controlled substances and endangering a child, we will not be supporting her campaign in any way,” the party stated in a September 2020 press release.
“Ms. Tijerina’s behavior does not reflect the values of the GOP of Texas and we do not wish to promote anyone of her character,” the press release stated. “The Republican county chairs of Cameron, Hidalgo, Kleberg, Kenedy and Willacy have all joined us in withholding support for her campaign. Many of the chairs have also passed resolutions against her.”
Three months earlier, Raymondville police arrested Tijerina, charging her with possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor, interfering with public duty, a Class B misdemeanor, and two charges of driving while intoxicated with child passengers, state jail felonies.
On her Facebook page, a series of live videos showed her confrontation with Raymondville police officers in the parking lot of a Stars Drive-in.
More than a half-an-hour of footage showed Tijerina refusing to exit her vehicle, speaking to viewers on social media as officers attempted to open a car door with slim jims.
Today, her Facebook page claims 45,000 followers.
Meanwhile, in the 2020 general election, longtime State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. won 62,572 votes to defeat Tijerina, who drew 36,822 votes.
In her 2019 race for Raymondville’s mayoral seat, Mayor Gilbert Gonzales won 1,231 votes to defeat Tijerina after she drew 525 votes.
Despite the margin, Tijerina challenged the election’s “integrity,” calling for a recount in which she picked up five additional votes while Gonzales took two more votes.
In 2016, Tijerina was running as a Green Party candidate for District 15’s congressional seat when she was arrested after Willacy County prosecutors handed down a sealed indictment.
At the District Attorney’s Office, records showed she was accused of stealing more than $73,000 from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission from March 2012 to August 2016, the Valley Morning Star reported at the time.
In December 2021, Raymondville police investigated a case in which a man and two women were charged with beating Tijerina in a hotel room on Christmas Eve.
According to Police Chief Uvaldo Zamora, Tijerina was lured into the room, where she was bound, gagged, beaten and threatened with death before officers entered to free her.
Tijerina’s assailants broadcast the attack in an online video, Zamora said at the time.
