Bexar County’s Civil Service Commission on Monday upheld the 2020 termination of the Precinct 2 captain indicted alongside Michelle Barrientes Vela.

As election day nears, Uvalde County Commissioner Precinct 2 race is heating up with several new faces.

A former Precinct 2 clerk who provided critical information to law enforcement about the inner workings of Michelle Barrientes Vela’s administration testified Thursday that the then-constable was left “rattled” after learning she was under criminal investigation in the summer of 2019.

The trial of former Precinct 2 Constable Michelle Barrientes-Vela and her former captain, Mark Garcia, has moved a step closer to the beginning.

Find other election results Type to search all races...Get more election results on our homepage and Vote 2020 page. Be the first to know by downloading our newsreader app or signing up for breaking news email alerts. Vasquez defeats Pena in race for Bexar County constable, Precinct 211:00 p.m. - Leticia Vazquez has defeated Charlie Pena in the race for Bexar County constable, Precinct 2. Vasquez currently has 65% of the votes while Pena has 35% with 54% of precincts reporting in Bexar County. BackgroundBexar County Precinct 2 (KSAT/Henry Keller)MORE ELECTION COVERAGE FROM KSAT:

AUSTIN – A Precinct 2 Bexar County deputy constable that was hit in Austin by a suspected drunk driver is preparing to undergo her seventh surgery after her legs were crushed. The crash happened last week when two deputy constables were off-duty and working traffic control in Austin. 2 deputy constables injured by suspected drunken driver. The Precinct 2 Constable’s Office says doctors had to take tissue from Deputy Leticia Martinez’s calf and thigh. In Bexar County, the Precinct 2 Constable’s Office plans to hold a plate sale for the deputies next weekend.

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas A Bexar County Precinct 2 deputy constable has tested positive for COVID-19 and officials anticipate another deputy constable will come back as positive, a Pct. We believe the second officer will have the disease, said Pct. We are waiting on the results on the second officer.Antu told KSAT that through process of elimination the deputy constables likely contracted COVID-19 from attending church. We do not believe the officers in question were ever in our building with COVID-19 and no other officers or staff members in our facility have any symptoms, Antu said. The new cases come a week after officials confirmed a reserve deputy in the agency had also tested positive.

Barrientes Vela makes first court appearance since being indicted on felony chargesPublished: February 26, 2020, 5:21 pmFormer Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela on Wednesday morning made her first court appearance since her arrest last month on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.

SAN ANTONIO – Michelle Barrientes Vela’s former captain was fired from the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office Wednesday, weeks after he was indicted along with the former constable on felony and misdemeanor charges. Marc Garcia was terminated following a 10-day administrative leave, a Precinct 2 spokesman said. WATCH: Ex-Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela faces judge after turning self in on felony chargesGarcia faces a felony charge of aggravated perjury and three misdemeanor charges of official oppression. A Defenders investigation in June showed that Precinct 2 deputies delayed booking Moreno for nearly a half-hour, until members of the media were in place. Former Bexar County Precinct 2 constable Michelle Barrientes VelaHe and Barrientes Vela are scheduled to make a court appearance Feb. 26.

SAN ANTONIO – Interim Precinct 2 Constable Leticia Vazquez officially announced her candidacy for the position Monday, two months after telling county commissioners she had no plans to seek a full term. Vazquez was appointed by commissioners Oct. 2 after beating out close to 30 applicants to fulfill the final 15 months of Michelle Barrientes Vela’s term. Michelle Barrientes Vela (KSAT)Barrientes Vela and several members of her administration remain under criminal investigation for charges ranging from official oppression to tampering with evidence. Crowded fieldVazquez joins an extremely crowded field in the 2020 race for Precinct 2 constable. Barrientes Vela’s campaign did not ask permission to hang the sign on the fence overnight, according to sources.

Barrientes Vela remains under criminal investigation for a long list of incidents that took place during her nearly three years in office. The store manager told deputies she forced the man to leave the shop after recognizing him as previously stealing shoes and deodorant. The man left the location but then contacted Barrientes Vela, the report states. “I mean I am pretty sure, I recognized his face when he walked in,” the manager told deputies, according to the report. The Family Dollar incident is not the first time Barrientes Vela has been accused of using agency resources to aid members of her immediate family.

SAN ANTONIO – A week after being fired as chief deputy of the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office, Anthony Castillo has filed the necessary paperwork to run for Precinct 2 constable in next year’s election. AdGarcia was demoted to the rank of deputy and immediately placed on leave last week by Barrientes Vela's replacement, Constable Leticia Vazquez, pending the outcome of an investigation. Barrientes Vela said she gave Castillo a "verbal write-up" for the incident. Castillo is the 10th candidate to file paperwork to run for Precinct 2 constable. Barrientes Vela was removed from office last week after a district judge dismissed her lawsuit attempting to block county officials from appointing her replacement.

The declaration comes less than two months after Barrientes Vela announced she will seek a second term in her current office. For Barrientes Vela, however, the statement to run for Bexar County sheriff could mean invoking Article 16, Section 65, of the Texas Constitution. 2 Constable, later backtracked when asked about the state law, claiming she was not in uniform when sharing her nomination for Bexar County sheriff. I've never been campaigning when I announced anything in regular clothes," Barrientes Vela said. READ ARTICLE 16, SECTION 65: Automatic Resignation on Becoming Candidate for Another Office"This section applies to the following offices: District Clerks; County Clerks; County Judges; Judges of the County Courts at Law, County Criminal Courts, County Probate Courts and County Domestic Relations Courts; County Treasurers; Criminal District Attorneys; County Surveyors; County Commissioners; Justices of the Peace; Sheriffs; Assessors and Collectors of Taxes; District Attorneys; County Attorneys; Public Weighers; and Constables.

SAN ANTONIO – A federal lawsuit filed Monday accuses Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela and one of her top administrators of violating the civil rights of two deputy constables within her agency, court records show. Moreno has filed to run for Precinct 2 constable in 2020, while De La Cerda serves as Moreno's campaign treasurer. In late February, Moreno and De La Cerda were placed on leave for the duration of Moreno's campaign, the suit states. The suit also states that both Moreno and De La Cerda were subjected to unfair disciplinary action after Moreno filed election paperwork. Bexar County was aware of these problems and had multiple opportunities to take action.

Garcia and Barrientes Vela ignored more than 20 follow-up questions from the Defenders about these delays before Barrientes Vela finally said that she would not engage with the reporter. Despite repeatedly calling one of the deputies who arrested Moreno by the wrong name, Barrientes Vela on Tuesday defended their actions April 30. It remains unclear why Barrientes Vela chose to bring up the topic in front of the media. AdShe then segued into criticizing Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales, who she claims refuses to answer her phone calls or to address her concerns. Barrientes Vela conceded during her remarks that she is concerned Gonzales' office may criminally charge her.

The smell was later determined to be from the airbags of Huizar's vehicle being deployed, according to Leon Valley records. Leon Valley police also provided the Defenders photos taken inside Huizar's vehicle after it was towed from the scene. My Office handles all complaints against Deputies within my Office (Bexar County Constable Office Pct. The initial request remains pending, according to the county's open records portal, but Precinct 2 has not provided any additional records from the crash. Court records show Huizar was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in March 2018 and remains out on bond in that unrelated case.

SAN ANTONIO – Two supervisors with the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office were terminated earlier this year after a state investigation determined they falsified the training records of themselves and other members of the agency. However, a four-hour training course on that day later appeared on the TCOLE records of De La Cerda, Moreno and other members of the agency. AdDuring a single day last September, De La Cerda logged 11 training hours, according to state records. Moreno, a 17-year veteran of Precinct 2, logged 22 training hours during a single day last October, state records confirm. TCOLE struck a number of training hours from the records of both deputies, according to county paperwork.

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County emergency radio records obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders confirm that a captain from the Precinct 2 Constable’s Office ordered a deputy constable in November to respond to a crash in his personal vehicle. AdConstable Michelle Barrientes Vela said the captain later sent the deputy away from the scene after realizing the deputy was in his POV, or personally owned vehicle. Told him, 'Don't ever do that again,' basically, and we had a good discussion about what he did," said Barrientes Vela. From the Bexar County FY 2017-2018 Adopted Annual Budget for Precinct 2 ConstableA Bexar County spokeswoman said county vehicles continue to be assigned on a one-to-one ratio. Ad"So there is one vehicle for the constable, one vehicle for every deputy constable and then one vehicle for other employees in that office that need a vehicle," said Monica Ramos.

On Wednesday night, a Defenders investigation uncovered problems inside a Bexar County Constable's office. A captain with Precinct 2 was photographed in uniform, wearing a badge and carrying a gun before he worked for the agency. Vehicle record logs also show captain Anthony Castillo used a county vehicle before his commission was in place. State law requires peace officers to not only be certified, but to be commissioned before they can act in a law enforcement capacity. The Defenders' Dillon Collier joined Mark and Leslie on GMSA @ 9 on why Castillo's actions are problematic.