Public servant assaults, felony DWI and drug case among those dismissed after errant Schertz PD evidence purge
The Guadalupe County Attorney this week dismissed felony cases against five defendants after evidence in each of the criminal matters was improperly destroyed by the Schertz Police Department, court records obtained by KSAT Investigates show.
Body of 5-year-old girl found; recovery efforts continue for woman in submerged vehicle in east Bexar County, sheriff says
The body of a 5-year-old girl was recovered from a submerged vehicle and the recovery effort for a 52-year-old woman will resume Friday morning after the vehicles they were traveling in were swept away by high water in east Bexar County Thursday morning, Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
Schertz to aid residents with water bills after storm fallout
Schertz residents worried about Winter Storm Uri’s effect on their February water bill can breathe a sigh of relief. Schertz City Council at its March 8 meeting approved an ordinance that will charge customers the lower rate of January and February’s billing. The city of Schertz took notice and took action at a special meeting March 8. “What we proposed for the city of Schertz … is billing customers the lower amount of their January or February bill,” Walters said. Whichever 28-day span is lower, that amount will be the customer’s charge for February.
mysanantonio.comSchertz expands city limits with unanimous vote
The arguments and the results of the vote did not change as the Schertz City Council officially expanded the city’s boundaries by 214 acres and rezoned its newly acquired property for a planned major new housing development. “This is a very convenient workaround to getting something that, pretty much the city council has said no, we don’t need these (smaller lots),” Scagliola said. The council meeting was mere hours after Gov. The city is obviously a jurisdiction, said City Manager Mark Browne, but what about restrictions among the city staff on city property and the residents who come to City Hall? Browne, saying that might be an option, promised to return to City Council after discussing the matter with employees and his department heads.
mysanantonio.comSchertz firm donates personal protective equipment to local food bank
A Schertz firm came through for the San Antonio Food Bank and the San Antonians its serves, with a donation of $50,000 worth of PPE products. Paul Richmond, owner of Richmond Advantage in Schertz, personally delivered the PPE (personal protective equipment) supplies Jan. 13 to the San Antonio Food Bank and its president and CEO, Eric Cooper. “The food bank needs PPE supplies to take care of the volunteers and the San Antonio community. Cooper thanked Richmond and his staff for thinking of the food bank, its workers and its mission. “Most people know the San Antonio Food Bank for food.
mysanantonio.comUniversal City woman dies in I-35 crash
A Universal City woman died on Interstate 35 on Saturday night after an SUV crashed into her parked car, sending her into incoming traffic, according to officials. Karla Barraza, 21, was standing in front of her Volkswagen Jetta, which was disabled in the 21500 block of the southbound side of the highway in Schertz, when a Nissan Rogue crashed into it around 10:51 p.m., Schertz police said in a statement.
mysanantonio.comSchertz officials hear from residents on police incident
Echoes of a Schertz police action a month ago continued to resound at the city’s Dec. 1 council meeting as local citizens publicly debated the incident. Schertz city officials announced an internal investigation to ensure all “department policies and procedures were followed.”Resident Michele Tereletski told council members that she had always been taught that when you saw flashing red lights, “you pulled over and stopped . They (police officers) are given military training that’s used on insurgents to deal with our children, with our community.”She called for open conversations between residents and city officials about changing policing policies. Federal money totaling nearly $1 million was recently awarded, explained Brian James, assistant city manager, and Schertz will contribute $330,348 for its portion. It will also add sidewalks, curbs and gutters to both sides of Live Oak Road between Schertz Parkway and FM 3009.
mysanantonio.comOfficials drop marijuana charge against Zekee Rayford, teenager kicked and tased by Schertz police
/Video courtesy of the Rayford familyThe misdemeanor marijuana charge against a teenager who was tackled, kicked and tased by Schertz police officers during an arrest last month has been dropped, according to prosecutors. Lorna Dean, a manager in the Guadalupe County Attorney's Office, said Tuesday the charge against Zekee Rayford, 18, was dismissed because officers conducted a "premature search."
mysanantonio.comSchertz releases officers' body, dash camera footage of Black teen's arrest
Schertz officials released new police camera footage this week that shows what happened before and after the arrest of a Black teen seen in a viral video that has prompted accusations of excessive force. Officials said they had wanted to release the video of 18-year-old Zekee Rayford’s arrest earlier but were awaiting authorization from the Guadalupe County district attorney’s office. Instead, Rayford drove to his home in the 1000 block of Keanna Place, where a security camera there provided the first video of his arrest. The officers are seen kneeing Rayford and using a stun gun multiple times as he struggled and shouted for his father. Family members are heard repeatedly insisting to officers that Rayford had his hands up and that the officers didn’t have to use a stun gun.
mysanantonio.comBlack Lives Matter activists to hold protest Tuesday after Schertz police used Taser on teen
Black Lives Matter activists plan to hold a protest Tuesday after Schertz police officers used a Taser on a teenager fleeing a traffic stop. Zekee Rayford, 18, was tackled and repeatedly tased on Nov. 2 after he ran from officers in front of his family home. Defund Police SA called supporters to "stand with the family" at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Schertz City Council chambers. ON EXPRESSNEWS.COM: Family wants Schertz officers fired after police use Taser on teenage son fleeing traffic stopThe incident began when Rayford ran a traffic light on Schertz Parkway, according to police. After pulling into his driveway and exiting the car with his hands up, Rayford ran for his front door and called for his father.
mysanantonio.comSchertz man sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for pointing laser at SAPD helicopter
A Schertz man was sentenced to four years in federal prison Monday for pointing a laser at a San Antonio police helicopter. Justin John Shorey, 39, pleaded guilty to aiming a laser pointer at an SAPD helicopter, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Texas. On Feb. 17, 2019, Shorey aimed a laser pointer at an SAPD helicopter searching for a shooting suspect north of U.S. 90. The aircraft was in the path of the San Antonio International Airport at the time. Shorey admitted to aiming the laser at the helicopter as it approached his location and circled above him.
mysanantonio.comCity of Schertz OKs refinancing part of community bond debt
The city of Schertz received some good news at its Oct. 27 meeting as it voted to refinance a portion of its community bond debt resulting in a savings of nearly $2 million over the next 15 years. In another action, council authorized an interlocal agreement with the city of San Antonio that will eventually expand Schertz’s city limits. Schertz 312, the property owner and developer, originally made the request and, according to Assistant City Manager Brian James, both Schertz and San Antonio have been working out the details for nearly a year. James, you make it sound so easy,” added Councilman David Scagliola, “but I know considerable effort went into this to convince San Antonio to release a portion of their city limits.”Formal annexation, following San Antonio City Council’s official approval, is expected in December. The equipment, a virtual server, would be used as duplicate data storage in case of a disaster of overall systems failure and would be placed off of city property.
mysanantonio.comNorth San Antonio development plants seeds of connectedness with new community gardens
click to enlarge Courtesy The Crossvineclick to enlarge Courtesy The CrossvineThe Crossvine, a residential development located just outside of San Antonio in Schertz, has unveiled a series of Community Gardens scattered throughout the property to promote connectedness and healthy living.The community gardens will allow residents to plant their own fruits and vegetables in an open, shared space, promoting ideals such as the cycle of sharing, paying it forward and giving back.“It was important for us to create an active community, where everyone could get outside and create community activities together,” Bradley Bechtol, a member of the Crossvine development team, told the. “We were all free-range children, so we wanted to create a place that planned for and welcomed that kind of connection.”Bechtol, who has been working on the development project for nearly ten years, has teamed up with a resident who has a background in horticulture, ensuring that the two dozen 5x8' raised garden beds are in optimal shape for families to begin planting this fall.“As a child, my mom was a member of a co-op, and she would pick up a box of produce weekly, and that connection, being one-step from from the land, just stuck with me,” Bechtol said. “A community garden is zero steps from the land … it teaches kids where their food comes from, and creates connectivity — which we think everyone is craving, especially now.”Future plans for the development’s community gardens include a farmer’s market and cooking classes, as well as more planters, if the program is popular enough.The Crossvine is located at 9001 Hollering Vine, in Schertz, about a half hour Northeast of Downtown San Antonio.
sacurrent.comSchertz firefighters help battle California wildfires
Teams of firefighters are shuttling between their fire stations in Schertz and firefighting duty in California, where wildfires continue to burn out of control. Schertz Fire Chief Cade Long returned Sept. 18 from a week at the Creek Fire scene outside of Fresno, Calif., where several other Schertz firefighters either are stationed or have served and already returned. Schertz firefighters are helping to tackle some of the worst blazes in California. TISMUS was able on Aug. 24 to send its first strike force of 40 crew members — including the four Schertz firefighters. It’s all very weather-dependent as well.”The first deployed Schertz crew came home in a “crew swap” with Long and others.
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