HOLLYWOOD PARK, Texas – A former City Secretary for New Braunfels and Hollywood Park is accused of online impersonation and tampering with government records, according to an affidavit.
Patrick Aten, 49, was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly messaging people using another person’s information, the affidavit said.
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Court documents state that in April, Aten used a person’s real name and another person’s address to submit a question for the Hollywood Park City Council candidate forum.
A victim, whose address was used to submit the question, confirmed that they did not submit it and asked authorities to investigate, the affidavit said.
The victim’s name that was used is a major in the U.S. military serving on active duty in New Braunfels.
According to the affidavit, part of Aten’s online impersonation scheme was to discredit, disparage or harm Hollywood Park’s Interim City Secretary Jeanette Hugghins.
The affidavit said Aten sent emails to Hollywood Park City Council members suggesting that Hugghins be reprimanded, alleging “negligence” and “incompetence” on her part.
Aten was placed on administrative leave in September 2024, and Hugghins was his successor. Aten was the city secretary for Hollywood Park for three years, Hugghins said.
Several complaints and open record requests were filed with Hollywood Park and the City of New Braunfels under different online personas Aten created, court documents show.
The affidavit said that investigators later proved that the online personas were all tied to Aten’s IP address.
In a Facebook group titled “Hollywood Park in San Antonio,” Aten allegedly said that Hollywood Park police officers did not respond to residents’ calls for service.
The affidavit states that there was another post created after Aten’s termination by the mayor, where he questioned the legitimacy of Hollywood Park’s mayoral race.
When questioned by authorities about whether he committed these acts, Aten allegedly stated, “I’m not saying I didn’t, I just don’t remember.”
According to the affidavit, Aten went on to further say that he didn’t think he “intended to cause harm.”
KSAT reached out to Hollywood Park for a statement. You can read the full statement below.
The Town of Hollywood Park today announced the arrest of former City Secretary Patrick David Aten. The arrest follows an intensive investigation led by Hollywood Park Police Department detectives, in coordination with the Texas Rangers and the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit. Mr. Aten has been charged with six counts related to a targeted campaign of harassment and deception against the Town and its personnel: • Four (4) Counts of Online Impersonation • Two (2) Counts of Tampering with a Government Record Mr. Aten allegedly engaged in a sophisticated scheme to discredit, disparage, and harm the Town of Hollywood Park and its employees following his separation from employment on October 10, 2024. The investigation alleges that Mr. Aten used the names of real individuals without their consent. Additionally, Mr. Aten allegedly submitted complaints under false personas to the Texas Rangers, Texas Office of the Attorney General, and the Texas Ethics Commission. These alleged complaints by Mr. Aten targeted former and current Town officials. “The Town of Hollywood Park will not tolerate the use of deception to harass our public servants and staff or defraud our taxpayers. I remain committed to the highest standards of integrity within our Town,” said Mayor Chester Drash. “We will continue to work with the District Attorney’s office to ensure justice is served.” Mr. Aten was taken into custody today without incident. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Town of Hollywood Park
Court records show Aten is being held on a combined $12,000 bond for the charges.
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