Reprint from the Progress Times - September 7, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Alton Police Chief remains in jail

One week after Alton police chief Jose Luis Vela was placed under arrest, having been charged with two counts of sexual assault against male employees, the investigation continues as to the details of the "parties" where the alleged assaults took place.

On August 28, two affidavits were obtained by Hidalgo County investigators Dusty Vaughn and Raul Cantu stating that Jose Luis Vela had sexually assaulted two male employees at two different parties, one occurring a year ago and the other in July of this year.

Vela was placed under arrest and led out of Alton City Hall last Thursday in the late afternoon.

Both alleged victims, under the names "Frank" and "Eloy", claimed Vela sexually assaulted them while passed out under the influence of alcohol. On August 29, "Frank" submitted to a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination at "Estrella’s House" Child Advocacy Center in Edinburg.

Both parties were allegedly held at Vela’s home at 4307 La Homa Road in Mission.

Alton City Manager Jorge Arcuate has ordered an investigation into whether evidence was taken from the city’s property room and used at the alleged parties after Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputies were told liquor, beer and drug paraphernalia were taken from the city’s property room. Currently, a city staff member not assigned to the police department is inventorying the evidence room.

The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department, over the last week, has been conducting interviews of every employee of the Alton police and fire department to ascertain if there is anyone else willing to come forward as well as gathering information relevant to the current investigation.

Lieutenant Eric Hernandez, Vela’s second in command, is currently presiding over Alton’s police department.

If found guilty, Vela, who graduated from the Regional Police Academy in Harlingen and served two years with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department, will no longer be allowed to work as a peace officer in law enforcement in Texas.

Vela, who has served as Alton’s Police Chief for 10 years, maintains his innocence denying the charges at his arraignment.

As of press time Thursday morning Jose Luis Vela remained in custody under a $200,000 bond in the Hidalgo County jail.

----- City of Alton reacts to police chief’s arrest -----

By Kathy Olivarez

"While the arrest of Police Chief Jose Luis Vela has been a shock to city staff, the citizens of Alton should rest assured that our employees will continue to provide the city services for which we are responsible," said Alton City Manager Jorge Arcaute in a prepared statement released after the announcement of Vela’s arrest.

"We expect no drop in the level of service we have been providing and expect to continue the trend of improvement that has been going on for the last couple of years," continued Arcaute.

"The City of Alton has cooperated fully and completely with the Sheriff’s Office investigation of Chief Vela and will continue to do so until the investigation’s conclusion. Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino has shared with us certain information that arose during this investigation, which requires us to conduct our own administrative inquiry into other possible wrongdoings, so we will proceed accordingly. This inquiry will be conducted with all deliberate speed," concluded Arcaute.

When asked about the charges, Arcaute replied, "Of course we were shocked about the nature of the charges." He said he was informed of the charges before the Sheriff’s Department arrested Vela at his home, which is outside the city limits of Alton. Because of the location of Vela’s home, the Sheriff’s Department will have jurisdiction over any charges relating to Chief Vela’s alleged sexual assaults, which were said to have taken place in his home.

Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino also informed Arcaute that some of the charges leveled against Vela indicated that he had removed property from the evidence room at the Alton Police Department. Any charges that stem from evidence found to be missing from the evidence room will come under the jurisdiction of the City of Alton. Arcaute indicated the evidence purportedly missing was alcohol and beer. Trevino offered county help in inventorying the evidence room to see what might be missing.

The city manager moved immediately upon learning of the problem to secure the evidence room. Rather than accepting county help, a city staff member, who is not assigned to the police or fire department, is currently inventorying the evidence room to see if there are any items missing.

Vela had served as Alton’s Police Chief for 10 years. He was a 1983 graduate of McAllen High School. He graduated from the Regional Police Academy in Harlingen in 1994 then spent two years with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department and had brief terms with the Edcouch-Elsa Police Department and the La Villa Police Department before coming to Alton.

Arcaute said Lieutenant Eric Hernandez, who is second in command in the Alton Police Department, would be leading the Alton police until this matter is resolved. Hernandez has four years of experience as an Alton policeman. He will preside over the 13 Alton police officers and five civilian workers.

The city manager said that Vela has been suspended with pay pending further investigation and would not be back at work in the city in an official capacity until the matter has been resolved.

Arcaute further stated that the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department had an officer in Alton questioning all police officers and firemen about the matter on Friday, August 31.

Attempts were made to get comments from Alton Mayor Salvador Vela and from members of the Alton City Council. However they declined to comment, preferring to allow Arcaute to issue an official statement instead.