Balcones Heights mayor reacts to Idrogo arrest

Slain officer's suspected gang ties "isolated event"

SAN ANTONIO – Pouring over the arrest warrant affidavit for murder suspect 33-year-old Jerry Idrogo on Friday, Balcones Heights Mayor Suzanne De Leon seemed surprised.

"Wow, see, this is stuff we didn't know," the mayor said.

De Leon was referring to details in the affidavit about slain Balcones Heights Officer Julian Pesina and his suspected gang ties.

"We did not know that at the time of the incident," De Leon said.

According to the affidavit, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Idrogo's residence a few days before the murder.

It details finding a ledger with Pesina's name, address, phone number and nickname under the heading "North Roster."

The affidavit states, "The roster listed persons associated with the Texas Mexican Mafia."

After reading that, the mayor said, "Now it looks like he definitely was part of the Mexican Mafia."

As KSAT 12 News has reported, gang experts came to that conclusion after studying Pesina's tattoos in photographs.

"It's really concerning to me that was infiltrated into our police department and I do believe it was an isolated event," De Leon said. "I think our officers are beyond reproach."

However, she also said a recent independent study of the police department identified areas that need to be corrected.

"That will be our first step," De Leon said. "It's going to help us identify the absolute perfect police chief to come in and make the positive changes that we need."


About the Author:

Jessie Degollado has been with KSAT since 1984. She is a general assignments reporter who covers a wide variety of stories. Raised in Laredo and as an anchor/reporter at KRGV in the Rio Grande Valley, Jessie is especially familiar with border and immigration issues. In 2007, Jessie also was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame.