KARNES COUNTY, Texas – A Karnes County grand jury has indicted a former Runge Independent School District employee on multiple charges in connection with an investigation into an inappropriate relationship with a student, according to a news release.
Andrea Melba Rodriguez was indicted on Jan. 6, 2026, for tampering with physical evidence and improper relationship between educator and student, the Karnes County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) said.
Following the indictments, the sheriff’s office said that warrants were issued for Rodriguez’s arrest. She was later “made aware of her new charges” and turned herself in to the Karnes County jail without incident.
Rodriguez went before a magistrate for the charges on Wednesday and awaits prosecution, the release states.
When sheriff’s deputies detained Rodriguez on Nov. 10, 2025, she gave them a “full confession of events” as well as “actions” that led to her improper relationship with the child, according to the sheriff’s office.
During its investigation, the sheriff’s office said it found digital evidence “confirming that an intimate relationship between the school employee and the student was active” and the relationship had taken place over an extended period of time.
The child was described as a “Runge ISD middle school-aged student” in a previous KCSO news release.
Investigators later learned that Rodriguez also “destroyed evidence,” which is connected to her tampering with evidence charge, the sheriff’s office said.
It is also unclear what role Rodriguez may have had with the district.
The sheriff’s office said its investigation remains ongoing.
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