Press Releases
If you recently encountered a San Angelo Police Officer with excessive facial hair, the break from the Department’s policy for grooming standards was authorized and encouraged by Police Chief Frank Carter.
During the month of November, San Angelo Police Department Officers participated in the United Way’s “Beards United” fundraising campaign.
San Angelo Police raised $700 during the campaign, exceeding their $500 goal. Although most of the participants were male, some female officers solicited donations to aid the event.
Monies raised will go to the United Way of the Concho Valley to fund nineteen local programs that fight for the health, education, and financial stability of all people in the Concho Valley.
Last year, the United Way of the Concho Valley helped over 40K local people.
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A 19-year-old San Angelo man who was captured on home surveillance video stealing a Bluetooth speaker from the backyard of a Southland residence has been identified.
The suspect came to Police Department Headquarters early this morning to speak with authorities. During an interview with a Criminal Investigations Division Detective, the suspect revealed he had previously been inside the victim’s backyard doing construction work [employed by a contractor] and knew exactly where the speaker was located. It was also discovered that the suspect was alerted to the San Angelo Police Department’s published viral video by a friend who encouraged him to turn himself in.
Prior to the interview, the suspect reportedly returned the stolen speaker to the victim’s residence. Authorities have confirmed the item’s return.
The video of the theft was shared on the Neighbors by Ring app and posted to the San Angelo Police Department’s Facebook page shortly after the investigation began on Monday, December 2, 2019. Within an hour of the post, the Department began receiving tips naming the suspect.
The San Angelo Police Department continues to encourage residents to secure/lock doors, windows, and gates, to follow the Department’s Facebook and Twitter Pages for crime alerts and prevention information, and to sign up for the Neighbors by Ring app. Residents can text ‘StaySafe’ to 555888 from their smartphone to download the Neighbors app for free on iOS and Android and use the app to; join their neighborhood, share crime and safety-related videos, photos and text-based posts; and receive real-time safety alerts from their neighbors, local law enforcement and the Ring team. For more information, visit www.ring.com/neighbors.
The investigation has been referred to the County Attorney’s Office for review.
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On Monday, December 2, 2019, the San Angelo Police Department’s Traffic Section and a Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office Deputy conducted LIDAR Traffic Enforcement in six (6) school zones. A total of twenty-two (22) citations and six (6) warnings were issued.
Following the school zone enforcement, LIDAR was conducted in the 1700 block of East Houston Harte’s westbound traffic. A total of forty-nine (49) citations and four (4) warnings were issued.
Citation Breakdown:
School Zones
Other/Misc. Violations: 3
No Driver’s License: 1
No Insurance: 1
Speeding: 17
Warnings: 6
Houston Harte
Speeding: 43 (Highest speed: 85 mph.)
Driving While License Invalid: 1
Other/Misc. Violations: 5
Warnings: 4
Holiday safety is an issue through mid-January. Many people choose to travel by car during the holidays, which has the highest fatality rate of any major form of transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile. In 2017, 329 people died on New Year's Day, 463 on Thanksgiving Day and 299 on Christmas Day, according to Injury Facts (NSC). Alcohol impairment was involved in about a third of the fatalities.
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A 24-year-old San Angelo man who was contemplating suicide on Thanksgiving is alive, thanks to two San Angelo Police Department Officers who were in the right place at the right time.
Just before 7:00 p.m., San Angelo Public Safety Communications received multiple phone calls concerning a man who appeared to be on the verge of jumping off the bridge at Van Buren and Freeland.
Officers arrived within minutes and located the distraught man sitting outside of the railing.
Officers established rapport with the man and learned he was suicidal. During the encounter, the officers seized an opportunity to pull the man from the railing when he became distracted by answering his phone. The man was taken into custody by Tom Green County Mental Health Deputies.
The San Angelo Police Department believes Officers Edward Salmon and Steven Martinez were near the incident at the right time and hope the man receives the help that he needs and deserves.
If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, please reach out for help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (English) or 1-888-628-9454 (Spanish). Calls are confidential and free. Talking with someone about your thoughts and feelings can save your life.
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Two men accused of stabbing a 37-year-old San Angelo man during a weekend altercation at a local bar have been arrested. Police were alerted to the incident by Shannon Medical Center staff who called to report the victim’s injuries.
The accused, 45-year-old Jose Hurtado and 31-year-old Arturo Sanchez-Melendez, have been charged with Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon Causes Serious Bodily Injury. The pair was apprehended at Narro’s Bar and Cantina, 1324 North Bell Street.
A preliminary investigation revealed Hurtado and Sanchez-Melendez assaulted the victim during an altercation in the parking lot just before 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, November 24, 2019. Both men were booked into the Tom Green County Jail. Bonds were set at $25K.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials requested that Sanchez-Melendez be placed on ‘ICE Hold’ due to his unconfirmed identity and status.
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