Comal County Prior Licensed Day Care Owner Sentenced to 40 Years in Child Abuse Case
A Comal County jury has convicted a New Braunfels woman who testified she previously owned a licensed day care of four counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. Jurors sentenced Susan Rae Helton to stacked prison terms totaling 40 years after hearing evidence of prolonged starvation, confinement, and severe malnutrition involving two adopted children, according to the district attorney’s office.
Comal County Deputy Constable Terminated After Traffic-Stop Complaint
A Comal County Precinct 4 deputy constable was terminated in 2025 after an internal affairs investigation into a disputed traffic-stop encounter with a citizen, according to disciplinary records obtained by The Hawk’s Eye. Video of the interaction shows the deputy ultimately acknowledging no law had been broken before allowing the citizen to leave without citation or arrest. Investigators later concluded the deputy violated multiple agency policies, including reporting for duty without required uniform and equipment and failing to follow established traffic-stop procedures, leading to the recommendation for termination.
Indicted Bexar County Judge Suspended by State Judicial Commission
Bexar County Court at Law No. 13 Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez has been suspended without pay by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, one week after a grand jury indicted her on criminal charges tied to a December 2024 courtroom incident involving a defense attorney. The suspension remains in place pending dismissal of the charges, an acquittal, or further action by the commission, as the criminal case moves forward.
Wilson County Auditor and County Judge Candidate Arrested on State Jail Felony Charge
Wilson County Auditor and county judge candidate Brenda Lea Trevino was arrested February 4, 2026, on a state jail felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, according to jail and court records. The arrest comes as Trevino is already facing a separate felony case tied to alleged county financial transactions, placing two pending criminal matters alongside her ongoing campaign for Wilson County judge. Court documents show she was released the same day on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.
Hays County Sets 2026 Primary Election Sites
Hays County voters will be able to cast ballots at any open polling location during the 2026 joint primary election after the Commissioners Court approved a countywide vote center system on January 20. Early in-person voting is scheduled for Feb. 17 through Feb. 27, with Election Day set for March 3. County officials say the flexible voting model is intended to reduce barriers to participation while ensuring all locations remain ADA accessible and equipped to serve both Republican and Democratic primary voters.
Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Program Captures 65 Fugitives During 2025
The Texas Department of Public Safety reported that 65 fugitives were captured in 2025 through the Texas 10 Most Wanted Program, following coordinated efforts between state, local, federal, and international law-enforcement agencies. DPS said the arrests included convicted sex offenders and criminal illegal immigrants, with captures occurring primarily in Texas and additional arrests made in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Mexico.
Hays County DA Investigating Altercation at Buda ICE Protest
The Hays County District Attorney’s Office is investigating an altercation involving an adult and a juvenile that occurred during a student-led protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Buda on Monday afternoon. The incident followed a walkout by area high school students near a busy intersection, where multiple law enforcement agencies were deployed for traffic and pedestrian safety.
Hays County Area Agencies Arrested Nine TCOLE-Licensed Law Enforcement Personnel in 2025
Court and jail records show nine individuals holding Texas Commission on Law Enforcement credentials were arrested by agencies operating in and around Hays County during 2025. The cases span multiple jurisdictions and alleged offenses, including DWI, assault involving family violence allegations, stalking, drug possession, disorderly conduct involving a firearm, and felony accusations of official oppression and tampering with government records, with several matters still pending in the courts.
Civil Suit Claims Judson ISD Violated Open Meetings Act, Forced Creation of Spanish Class
A Judson Independent School District resident has filed a civil lawsuit against the district and its board president, alleging violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act during a January 2026 special meeting that resulted in the removal of the district’s superintendent.
The petition claims the meeting was improperly noticed and conducted without sufficient agenda detail, rendering any actions taken voidable under state law. The lawsuit also alleges that Board President Monica Ryan engaged in ultra vires and self-dealing conduct, including forcing the creation of a Spanish II class for her daughter under threat of retaliation against district employees. The case seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and remains pending in Bexar County district court.
Wilson County to Bee County: A Defamation Lawsuit Traces How Alleged False Indictment Claims Spread
A newly filed civil lawsuit is drawing a direct line from Wilson County to Bee County, alleging that informal law-enforcement communications falsely portrayed a veteran investigator as the target of a pending criminal indictment—claims that official records later showed did not exist. At the center of the case is an internal Bee County Sheriff’s Office memorandum documenting how information originating outside the county was treated as fact and used to justify the abrupt end of Joshua Jayme Olivarez’s law-enforcement career.