LONE RANGER: Indian Lake police force cut to one

By JACOB LOPEZ 

Courtesy photo

Editor
Editor@sbnewspaper.com

Only one officer remains with Indian Lake Police department.

Sgt. Alfredo “Freddy” Avalos is the lone law enforcement official working for the department after the police chief’s arrest.

Avalos spoke to the News about his new duties, quoting French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte, he said, “Ability is nothing without opportunity.”

“I plan on using this opportunity to restore core values to the Town of Indian Lake Police Department,” said Avalos. “Once our trust is broken, our actions are rightfully called into question. The Indian Lake Police Department and police officers around the country must hold themselves to the highest standards. We should always be guided by our integrity, pride and our community.”

Indian Lake Police Chief John Chambers was arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 25 on 14 counts of tampering with government records.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), the Texas Rangers and the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation.

According to a press release issued by Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz’s office, the indictment lists 14 counts of “knowingly making a false entry in a governmental record concerning firearms qualifications for some of his deputies.”

Chambers was arrested by TCOLE and district attorney investigators.

One such count reads that on Jan. 13, 2015, Chambers made “false entry in a governmental record.”

The falsified information included firearms qualifications records for 14 deputies, the date they qualified, the weapons used and the weapons’ serial numbers as follows:

• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Michael Salinas, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Jose Angel Lopez, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Daniel Garcia, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Armando Pulido, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Pedro E. Flores, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Norma Reyna, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Jose Luis Hernandez, Jr., the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Ricardo Herrera, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Carlos Hernandez, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Victor Diaz, Jr., the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Jorge Cruz, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Rene E. Lara, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Virgilio R. Cienfuegos, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.
• Knowingly make a false entry in a governmental record, to-wit: firearms qualification record, said false entry being the name, Fernando Errisuriz, the date of qualification, the weapon used and the weapon serial number.

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