Press Releases

Today, the San Angelo Police Department celebrated the career of Police Sergeant Rusty Herndon during a retirement ceremony at the McNease Convention Center.

Sgt Herndon was hired by the San Angelo Police Department on March 1, 1986. After completion of the Police Academy, Sgt Herndon was assigned to the patrol division until October of 1988 when he transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division. While assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division, Sgt Herndon investigated Crimes against Persons. Sgt Herndon worked in CID until April of 1997 when he promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

During his first year as a Sergeant, Sgt Herndon was the supervisor for the DARE and GREAT programs. From July 1998 until September 2000, Sgt Herndon was assigned as the Patrol Administrative Supervisor. Beginning September 1, 2000, Sgt Herndon was assigned as a Patrol Shift Supervisor until her transferred to the Training Division as the Training Director on June 1, 2004.

On September 1, 2006, Sgt Herndon returned to Patrol as a Day shift Supervisor. In November of 2007, Sgt Herndon transferred back to the Criminal Investigation Division as a supervisor where he supervised Detectives investigating Crimes Against Persons. When the San Angelo Police Department changed to Sector Policing, Sgt Herndon became the supervisor for Sectors 3 and 4, as well as the Crimes Against Children Investigators. Sgt Herndon has remained a supervisor in CID since 2007. During his tenure as a supervisor in CID, Sgt Herndon was awarded the Investigative Supervisor of the Year award for 2008-2009.

In addition to his normal duties, Sgt Herndon has also served as the Crisis Negotiation Team Leader since 2006. Sgt Herndon has also participated in the National Police Shooting Championship since 2006. Sgt Herndon won the Overall National Champion ?Classified? Revolver in 2006, Overall National Champion ?Marksman? Revolver 2007, over 35 first place individual National Police Shooting Championship awards in Revolver, Semi-Automatic, and Service Weapon, and 8 first place National Police Shooting Championship team matches.

Sgt Herndon will retire tomorrow December 31, 2015 after 29 years and 10 months of service to the San Angelo Police Department. Sgt Herndon has been a valuable member of the San Angelo Police Department and will be truly missed. The San Angelo Police Department wishes him well in his retirement.

Over the weekend, two fake news stories about incidents in San Angelo surfaced on Facebook. The first story was about a car crash with three fatalities and seven injuries. The second story was in reference to a shooting at a park where six were claimed to be killed with 10 wounded. The San Angelo Police Department has not responded to any calls like this and these stories are not real.

The stories were posted on Facebook under a community page titled San Angelo Breaking. There are several stories from local media outlets posted to the page along with the two fake news stories. The San Angelo Police Department wants citizens to be aware of this page and the fake stories. The SAPD also wishes to remind citizens in the event these types of incidents occur, the story will be found on the websites and Facebook pages of our verified local media outlets as well as the San Angelo Police Departments Facebook page.

Just before 9:00 p.m. last night, San Angelo Police were dispatched to the 4300 block of the W Houston Harte Expressway for the report of a two-vehicle crash.

While enroute, responding Officers received information that one of the vehicle's drivers fled the crash scene on foot along with a child, and were headed towards the Olive Garden Restaurant.

Responding Officers arrived and located the female and young child hiding in a culvert across from Cavender's Western Outfitter. The woman was identified as Leslie Zapata (DOB 06-10-90) of San Angelo and confirmed to be the driver. During the investigation, Officers smelled the odor of alcohol coming from Zapata and suspected she was driving while intoxicated. Zapata was also found to have three outstanding arrest warrants. It was also determined that Zapata and the 4-year-old male child were not injured during the crash.

During the investigation, Police determined that a 28-year-old San Angelo man was operating a 2006 Saturn SUV on the frontage road when Zapata exited the ramp at a high rate of speed and collided with his vehicle. The collision caused Zapata to lose control of her vehicle, a 2003 Hyundai Elantra, before coming to a rest in a nearby ditch. The driver of the Saturn and his 32-year-old female passenger were not injured in the crash.

San Angelo Police obtained a Child Safety Seat from the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office and transported the child to a family member's home.

Zapata was arrested for the outstanding warrants and Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger Under 15YOA and transported to the Tom Green County Jail where she submitted a breath specimen.

Zapata received citations for Fail to Control Speed and transporting a child passenger without a Child Passenger Safety Seat System.

Yesterday, San Angelo Police arrested Christopher Lee Mata (DOB 02-16-76) and Nicole Lorelle Johnson (DOB 05-02-75) of San Angelo in connection to the fatal hit and run crash that occurred on South Chadbourne Street in August that resulted in the death of 21-year-old Joe Carlos Lopez.

Yesterday afternoon, Detectives with the Department's Criminal Investigations Division obtained Arrest Warrants for Mata and Johnson and located the pair just before 4:00 p.m. at Lone Star Meat Packing, 2150 E 37th Street. Mata and Johnson were taken into custody without incident and subsequently booked into the Tom Green County Jail for 2nd Degree Felony Failure to Stop and Render Aid (Accident Involving Death).

Mata and Johnson became persons of interest in mid-September after police received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip from someone who had viewed a video plea for help featuring Lopez's mother, Rose Lopez. [http://bit.ly/Justice4JoeLopez]

After following up on the tip, Police developed information about the location of the white 2002 Ford Expedition driven at the time of the crash, as well as information about the pair's efforts to conceal the incident by repairing and eventually discarding the vehicle.

Lopez was killed as he was riding his skateboard on Chadbourne Street near East Avenue I on August 2, 2015 around 2:30 a.m. The suspect vehicle's color, make and model were discovered after police obtained surveillance video from a location near the crash site.

Since Lopez's death, members of the Department's Traffic Section, Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol Division, Crime Analysis Unit, CSI Unit, Special Operations Section, Narcotics Section, Crime Stoppers Unit, and Office of Public Information have worked together to follow leads and locate the persons responsible for Lopez's death and help bring closure to his family.

***SAPD***

San Angelo Police have arrested two people in connection with the death of 21-year-old Joe Carlos Lopez, the skateboarder who was struck by an SUV on South Chadbourne Street on August 2, 2015.

Christopher Lee Mata (DOB 02-16-76) and Nicole Lorelle Johnson (DOB 05-02-75) of San Angelo were arrested this evening and charged with Felony Failure to Stop and Render Aid (Accident Involving Death).

Addition information, including details that led to the arrests, will be released tomorrow.