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The 28-year-old Edinburg police officer arrested for driving while intoxicated was uncooperative with McAllen police and kicked “the partition window” in a unit “with both feet while using profanities,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
Randy De La Cruz was arrested on Monday on charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawful carrying of weapons after police discovered he was in possession of his department firearm.
McAllen police officers were dispatched to the area of 10th Street and Martin Avenue in reference to a single vehicle crash where they were waved down by the reporting party.
The affidavit states the reporting party pointed out De La Cruz’s black GMC Sierra, which was off the road next to railroad tracks.
The person stated that they had seen the truck parked at 6316 N. 10th Street before it drove over the curb and onto the railroad tracks before proceeding to the open area east of the railroad tracks where it got stuck.
Officers observed that the Sierra had damage to the front and rear left tires and wheels as they approached with their emergency overhead lights on.
Despite the lights being used to grab De La Cruz’s attention, he continued to drive the vehicle until the officers used their public announcement system to instruct him to turn off and exit the vehicle.
“The driver opened the door and stumbled out of the vehicle, almost falling,” the affidavit said.
When De La Cruz approached the officers, they could detect a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath and noticed his speech was slurred, according to the affidavit.
De La Cruz was arrested after the officers determined he was intoxicated to a degree that he didn’t have normal use of his physical and mental faculties and placed in the rear of a police unit.
The responding officers found two open White Claw hard seltzers in the center console area of De La Cruz’s GMC Sierra.
As they continued searching the vehicle, police found a police duty belt on the floorboard of the back seat with one Glock 17 magazine containing 17 9mm bullets, a stun device, a streamlight flashlight, his Texas Peace Officer badge, a traffic vest, a bike helmet, an Edinburg Police Department vest and a body camera.
It was then that the officers realized De La Cruz was an Edinburg police officer.
“The items, except for the weapon, magazine and bullets, were later turned over to Edinburg Police Department Sergeant M.C. Ewen #12,” the affidavit said.
In the rear of the police unit, “De La Cruz started kicking the partition window with both feet while using profanities,” according to the affidavit.
Despite consenting to provide a breath sample, once he was taken to the McAllen Police Department, he refused and was subsequently taken to the jail section for booking procedures.
He was then taken to McAllen Medical Center in order to obtain a blood specimen from De La Cruz.
It was there that De La Cruz began insulting the officers with “vulgar language” and stated multiple times, “Just wait til I’m back on the road, I’ll be out tomorrow.”
A news release regarding his arrest stated that De La Cruz has served as a patrol officer in the Edinburg Police Department for the last four years.
Jail records show De La Cruz was released from custody on a combined $4,000 in personal recognizance bonds.
