SAN ANTONIO – A former Bexar County juvenile detention officer was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years probation Wednesday after a jury convicted him of felony strangulation, court records confirm.
Joshua Ortiz, 30, was arrested in July 2022, days after San Antonio police responded to the 4500 block of Pecan Valley Drive for a reported assault.
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A woman told an officer that Ortiz began punching her in the face after getting upset and then threw her on a bed and began choking her with both hands, an arrest warrant for Ortiz states.
Ortiz eventually “fled the location to an unknown address,” the warrant states.
Officers who arrived at the residence noted that the victim had visible bruising to both eyes and bruising to her neck consistent with choking, the warrant states.
Ortiz was placed on leave from his county position after his arrest, but returned to work weeks later and moved to the Krier Juvenile Correctional Treatment Center.
The county chief juvenile probation officer said at the time protections were in place to help ensure that people in the work environment would be safe around Ortiz.
Ortiz left his position with the county in March 2023, weeks after he was indicted in the case by a grand jury.
Ortiz must also pay $290 in fees and court costs, records show.
He will serve his time in jail through Nov. 18, according to court records.
His attorney, Monica Khiralla, told KSAT via telephone Thursday, “I disagree with the jury’s verdict but we respect their decision,” before adding that Ortiz remains adamant that he is innocent.
Ortiz must have no contact with the victim as part of his sentence, court records show.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
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