In the pre‑dawn hours of September 2, 2025, a woman commuting northbound on Interstate 35 through San Marcos encountered an unmarked gray 2021 Ford Explorer that aggressively manipulated traffic around her.  The SUV approached at high speed, passed her in the fast lane and began tailgating other cars. To avoid the reckless vehicle, she moved to the middle lane, but the Explorer swerved in front of her and brake‑checked her.  When she switched into the slow lane, the SUV darted ahead again, repeatedly slamming on its brakes and preventing her from passing.  The driver then activated rear‑facing white strobe lights—not the red‑and‑blue emergency lights used by police—and she pulled onto the shoulder to comply.  The SUV pulled in front of her but never used a siren or public‑address system and no one got out; after about thirty seconds the vehicle turned off its lights and drove away.  The motorist documented the license plate and later reported the incident to police, saying she felt forced to stop and that the behavior was dangerous.

Investigators traced the plate to Ryan Jarratt Monahan, a 36‑year‑old former peace officer who by late 2025 was working as a private security guard at the IDEA Kyle campus.  The campus includes IDEA Kyle Academy for grades K–5 and IDEA Kyle College Prep for grades 6–12, both operated by the IDEA Public Schools network.  Monahan told detectives he provided security at this campus while looking for another law‑enforcement job.  According to available data, IDEA Kyle Academy enrolls about 637 elementary students  and the College Prep serves about 681 middle‑ and high‑school students ; the combined campus is located at 640 Philomena Drive in Kyle.  These schools are open‑enrollment charter campuses operated by IDEA Public Schools, a not‑for‑profit charter‑school operator founded in Texas.  Police later discovered that Monahan’s personal SUV was outfitted with emergency lights even though it was not an official police vehicle, and those lights were used during the confrontation.

From law enforcement to private security: a fragmented career

Before joining the charter‑school security team, Monahan had an uneven career in law enforcement.  State licensing records show that his peace‑officer license was granted on April 22, 2019, and permanently surrendered on February 12, 2026.  During those years he worked for several agencies:

• Bulverde Police Department (April 22 – May 20, 2019)
• Poth Police Department (Sept. 16 – July 29, 2021)
• Caldwell County Constable, Precinct 1 (Aug. 2, 2021 – Mar. 25, 2025)
• Lockhart Police Department (Apr. 1 – Apr. 26, 2024)
• Caldwell County Constable, Precinct 2 (Feb. 11 – Sept. 16, 2025)
• Premont Police Department (Oct. 20 – Oct. 21, 2025)

After leaving these public‑sector positions, Monahan entered the private‑security industry.  He obtained a Commissioned Security Officer license on September 10, 2025, and completed the required psychological evaluation in August 2025.  Records show he was affiliated with three private security companies in quick succession: Blue Armor Security Services, Inc. (Sept. 2 – Oct. 3, 2025), Watchmen Protective Services LLC (Oct. 14, 2025 – Feb. 12, 2026) and SOML Solutions Protective, LLC (Dec. 26, 2025 – Feb. 1, 2026).  His job at IDEA Kyle was part of this private‑security work.

Investigators build case using license‑plate and cell‑phone data

San Marcos police officer Gavin Gonzales used the license plate the woman provided to identify the gray SUV as Monahan’s personal vehicle.  When Gonzales visited Monahan’s New Braunfels residence, he saw the Explorer parked in the driveway with white emergency lights on its front and rear and left a business card asking Monahan to call.  Monahan contacted Gonzales, agreed to meet, then didn’t show up; when detectives visited him at IDEA Kyle, he refused to speak without an attorney.  Detectives subsequently obtained a search warrant for his cell‑phone records.  Analysis of communication‑detail records from AT&T placed Monahan’s phone in the vicinity of the incident during the relevant time window, supporting the victim’s account.

Although Gonzales initially believed Monahan’s actions amounted to restricting the use of lights, reckless driving and unlawful restraint, prosecutors concluded that the evidence for reckless driving and unlawful restraint was weak.  Instead, they focused on state private‑security statutes.  Under Texas Occupations Code § 1702.388, a person commits an offense if they violate a provision of the private‑security chapter and the violation is a Class A misdemeanor unless the person has prior convictions under the chapter.

Guilty plea to violating private‑security law and license surrender

Monahan was formally charged by information with one count of “Private Investigator/Security Agency Regulation” under § 1702.388 in January 2026, and a summons was issued for him.  He was arrested on February 12, 2026, and booked into the Hays County Jail; jail records show he was released later that day on a $100 personal‑recognizance bond.  He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor.  The court sentenced him to one day in the county jail and assessed $290.05 in court costs, with no fine or restitution.  As part of the plea, Monahan surrendered his peace‑officer license, rendering him ineligible for future police appointments. 

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