SAN ANTONIO – An arrested Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy has been linked to a suspected drug stash house within walking distance of the jail, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders.
Deputy Rita Alvarez, 31, was one of five people charged Wednesday in a multi-agency narcotics bust.
Alvarez, who was released on bond Wednesday evening, did not respond to a request for comment at her West Side home Thursday.
According to the warrant, Alvarez collected a drug debt from a female inmate for convicted felon Cristobal Perez, then kept a portion of the money for herself.
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Alvarez, who has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, faces charges of engaging in organized criminal activities and illegal expenditures.
Perez, who himself has been in jail since April on felony drug charges, is accused of dealing black tar heroin from a home in the 100 block of Monclova Alley.
The residence, which is hidden behind tall, wooden boards, is approximately 200 feet from Margil Elementary School and just a few blocks from the jail.
A second home tied to Perez, located in the 11400 block of Previn Street, has a heavily damaged front door and shows signs of being part of an executed search warrant.
Officials from the San Antonio Police Department, the lead agency in the investigation, declined comment Thursday since the case remains open.
Alvarez was the only suspect arrested Wednesday without a previous criminal record.
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