SAN ANTONIO – A pair of former San Antonio police officers indicted late last year on charges of aggravated assault by a public servant face another hurdle to reinstatement after both received additional indefinite suspensions.
Carlos Castro and Thomas Villarreal’s indefinite suspensions, which are tantamount to being fired, were among suspension records released by SAPD late last week covering the month of May.
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The pair was indicted by a Bexar County grand jury in December, nearly two years after investigators accused them of kicking in a door and beating a suspect wanted on suspicion of evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance.
In January 2020 Castro and Villarreal struggled with the suspect, Eric Wilson, fearing he might reach for a weapon so they punched him repeatedly until they were able to handcuff him, records show. Both officers had Wilson’s blood on their bodies, according to an SAPD report. Villarreal sustained a bruised hand from the incident.
In Wilson’s subsequent mugshot, injuries were visible around both of his eyes.
Castro and Villarreal were first fired in July 2020 after their conduct was investigated by the department’s internal affairs unit.
Both defendants are free on bond awaiting trial, Bexar County court records show.
Castro and Villarreal have both appealed their latest terminations to a third-party arbitrator, city records confirm.
Nude shower selfie lands officer 20-day suspension
A separate SAPD officer was suspended for 20 days in May, months after he accidentally sent a nude selfie to a group text consisting of 20 other officers.
The officer, who KSAT is not naming because he immediately self-reported the incident to his supervisors, texted a photo while off duty in late January showing him “completely nude, standing in a shower with his genitals exposed.” The text went to 20 officers from one of the department’s community policing units, suspension records show.
The officer served his suspension from June 2 through June 21, city records show.
SAPD sergeant dumps marijuana down sink
A veteran SAPD sergeant was suspended for 30 days in May, more than a year after investigators said he spilled marijuana in a sink containing liquid and then disposed of it without attempting to retrieve it.
The April 2021 incident, which took place inside a home in the 16200 block of Miners Gap on the far North East Side, led to Sergeant Kevin Nogle being investigated for tampering with evidence.
Nogle, who has worked for SAPD for more than 28 years, removed a clear gallon bag containing between four and eight ounces of marijuana from a freezer but spilled the contents after opening it, suspension records show.
Instead of attempting to retrieve the marijuana from the sink, Nogle disposed of it down the drain, records show.
He also failed to promptly report the incident to his chain of command, according to records.
Possession of any amount of marijuana over four ounces is a felony offense in Texas.
Nogle’s suspension covered the entire month of June, records show.
The KSAT 12 Defenders could find no record that Nogle was ever criminally charged for the incident.