Bexar County DA Faces Scrutiny: The Bexar County District Attorney will speak on Thursday at a town hall meeting. His office is receiving increasing complaints and unanswered questions.
Our Investigates team is reviewing ongoing criminal cases under Joe Gonzales’ office that haven’t been charged yet.
Valentin Gonzales IV’s sad life highlights unresolved problems.
“He was my best friend,” Valentin’s mother, Cynthia Garza, said sadly. He was always there.
Holding her mother’s hand, Breann Gonzales said shakily, “He was a great guy, my brother.” She spoke about her beloved brother, whom she had to leave.
Despite Valentin’s untimely death nearly two years ago, his family still carries the burden of their grief.
“His wife petted the dog, and the owner got mad because she did,” Garza says of the scary events before her son’s death. He shot her. I think my son knocked him down.
A terrible incident occurred at an apartment building on Wurzbach on December 30, 2021.
In the report, Valentin’s wife identified Jordan Eaton as their attacker. Eaton rushed into the apartment complex to hide after his terrible act.
GPS still monitors Eaton despite 21 months passing without charges.
“Why haven’t you come to us?” was the painful question. “We’ll charge, we’ll…” is what we were told. Garza’s words blend, showing his frustration.
Investigates embarked on a challenging journey to uncover the truth. In June, they requested public records to learn about GPS tracking and ongoing indictments.
Eaton’s name was found among hundreds connected to GPS tracking in Bexar County in September.
We delved further into the complex data and discovered that the District Attorney’s Office handled 5,714 uncharged arrests from 2022 to 2023.
It involves Tyler Ashbaugh. In May 2022, he allegedly shot at two San Antonio police officers near a church on the Northeast Side.
The arrest statement describes a white SUV with flat tires, a broken back window, and shell casings on the driver’s side floorboard.
The cops followed the car to a garage, realizing the difficulty of catching the person. Ashbaugh was arrested at an apartment where a similar gun was found.
Ashbaugh’s confession omitted a crucial detail: he denied involvement in the shooting of SAPD officers in the church parking lot.
Tyler Ashbaugh’s case is among 1,500+ issues from 2022 awaiting charges from the District Attorney.
ALSO READ: Police Chiefs Confront DA Office Over Dropped Cases: Bexar County Tensions
Similarly, Federico Chavez allegedly caused the death of 58-year-old Lewis Earl Fender in a car accident on September 5, 2022.
The accident occurred near the intersection of Loop 1604 and Highway 181. It happened because Chavez was driving carelessly, following too closely, and had open packages of alcohol in his car.
Manslaughter is dangerous, and Chavez’s charges have dimmed his future.
DA Joe Gonzales was supposed to speak but canceled at the last minute to prepare for a District 7 town hall.
Leigh Waldman’s investigation asked Gonzales about the sudden change in plans.
When asked about Jordan Eaton, Gonzales said, “I’m not.” I know you called, and we rescheduled the meeting.
The interview has been delayed for a while, but the new date still needs to be determined.
Gonzales appeared on KLRN’s “On The Record” to discuss police killings. However, the question of charge delays persisted.
Gonzales said, “Someone is working on it for our meeting.” If you let us investigate and discover what happened, I’ll share all I know.
They mainly discussed fairness and the need for more time to investigate each case.
Like Breann Gonzales, families seeking justice wonder why the wait is so long. Why is justice taking so long?
Despite ongoing investigations into Eaton’s and Ashbaugh’s cases, finding answers remains complicated, confusing, and endless.