A complaint has been filed against Joshua Guajardo, a former Cameron County Sheriff’s deputy accused of tampering with government documents after arresting a DWI suspect on a lesser charge, Sheriff Omar Lucio announced at a press conference Friday afternoon.
Guajardo faces a Class C misdemeanor charge following an investigation that found the former deputy arrested Joseph Cerino for allegedly operating a vehicle while intoxicated for the lesser charge of public intoxication, Lucio said..
According to information released by the Sheriff’s office, Guajardo responded to a music disturbance call at a residence on the 3100 block of Dawn Avenue in Los Fresnos on the night of Aug. 17, where he arrested Cerino for public intoxication.
Lucio said Guajardo then altered the narrative of events in an official police report to substantiate the arrest on those charges even though Cerino had been operating a vehicle prior to the arrest.
Following the conclusion of an investigation into the incident, Guajardo was discharged from the force and charged with tampering with government documents in County Cour–at–Law No. 5.
The sheriff noted that a second deputy involved in the incident was subject to administrative discipline and the matter was handled internally.
Lucio added he was unaware if the officer had any personal connection to the arrestee.
