An internal investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety concluded that a state trooper engaged in repeated unprofessional conduct, including sexually suggestive remarks and inappropriate comments about a supervisor. The findings stem from a complaint filed in April 2025 and detail conduct that occurred over multiple encounters in 2024 and resulted in a one day suspension issued in December of 2025.

The investigation focused on Trooper Juan Riojas Jr., assigned to the Capitol Region, and examined both the content of his comments and their impact on coworkers. Officials concluded that the conduct included “unprofessional comments based on sex toward a co-worker” and “discourteous comments about a supervisor and his family.” The report further states that the evidence “confirmed beyond a preponderance” that the conduct occurred as described.

Complaint Describes “Sexual Innuendos” and Emotional Toll

The case began when a trooper submitted a formal complaint outlining repeated interactions that crossed professional boundaries. In that complaint, the trooper wrote that Riojas “continues to make sexual innuendos and suggestive comments towards me that make me feel uncomfortable.” The complaint added that the behavior created “a hostile working environment” and described a pattern of comments that escalated over time.

The reporting trooper also described the personal impact of the behavior, writing that the situation was “mentally and emotionally draining.” The complaint states the trooper “no longer want[s] to come to work” due to the ongoing comments and the environment they created.

Interviews Detail Explicit Remarks, Bathroom Comments, and Escalating Behavior

The most detailed account of the alleged conduct comes from the complainant, who told investigators that the interactions began shortly after he started working the Capitol night shift in June 2024. He said the comments initially appeared harmless, explaining that Riojas “began with compliments on my muscles and body” and was “initially very nice.” Over time, however, the tone of those interactions shifted into something far more personal and uncomfortable.

According to the interview, Riojas began bringing him food and gifts and sought opportunities to be alone with him, including inviting him to eat lunch together in a guard post. The complainant said Riojas also made personal remarks about his “skin-tone and voice” and began introducing more explicit and inappropriate topics into conversations. Those comments, he said, continued even after he made it clear they were unwelcome.

The report documents a series of statements involving bathroom encounters that the complainant said made him particularly uncomfortable. According to his interview, Riojas described seeing another trooper sitting on the toilet with the stall door opened in the restroom and said he believed the trooper “probably wanted him to ‘suck his dick.’” In another instance, the complainant said Riojas talked about observing a trooper “in the bathroom with his pants and underwear down cleaning himself.” He also recalled Riojas stating that he liked using public urinals without dividers “so he could see everyone’s penis.”

The complainant said Riojas told him that if Riojas were “a blonde bimbo with big breasts,” the complainant “would definitely date” him. The complainant mentioned that Riojas stated he wished the complainant would “slip on a banana peel, bump his head, and become gay like Riojas.” He also recalled Riojas asking whether he slept naked and telling him he wanted to “marry” him and introduce him to his mother. According to the statement, Riojas described his home and property and suggested “it could be his if they were married.”

The complainant said the behavior continued even after he repeatedly told Riojas to stop. He told investigators that Riojas would “stop, briefly, then continue,” often apologizing and saying “he was lonely and could not help it.” The ongoing nature of the comments, he said, had a significant impact on his well-being.

“I no longer wanted to come to work,” the complainant told investigators, adding that his “mental health began to decline.” He said he became depressed, experienced physical symptoms including migraines, and described feeling “physically ill” as the situation continued. He also told investigators he became “consumed with thoughts of Riojas” due to the repeated interactions and their effect on him.

The complainant also recalled hearing additional remarks made by Riojas about others in the workplace. In a follow-up interview, he stated that he heard Riojas make a comment wishing someone would “get cancer and die,” which he believed was directed at a supervisor during a shift briefing in 2024. While he could not recall the exact date, investigators included the statement as part of the overall pattern of conduct described in the case.

Retired Trooper Describes Pattern of Behavior and Prior Warnings

A retired trooper who had worked with Riojas for more than a decade told investigators that the behavior described in the complaint was consistent with what he had observed over the years. In an interview conducted July 30, 2025, the retired trooper said he had known Riojas for “more than fifteen years” and recalled instances where Riojas made jokes that were sexual in nature. One example included a joke about a taco stand that “referenced penises,” though the trooper said he could not recall the exact wording.

The retired trooper told investigators that Riojas had developed a reputation among coworkers for making those types of comments. He said Riojas was “known amongst other troopers to have a history of making these types of jokes,” and described him as someone who was “difficult to work with” and did not respond well to criticism. As a result, the trooper said he made a point to avoid Riojas during his time with the department.

That approach, he said, was not unique. According to his interview, other troopers had previously shared informal guidance about how to handle interactions with Riojas. The advice, he said, was straightforward. If Riojas made someone uncomfortable, they should “stop talking to him” or “cut him off.” The retired trooper told investigators he later passed along that same advice to others and said he was “not surprised” when he learned a formal complaint had been filed.

Riojas Denies Allegations, Calls Interactions “Not Romantic or Flirtatious”

In his interview with investigators, Trooper Juan Riojas denied that his interactions with the complainant were inappropriate, describing them instead as routine workplace conversations and friendly exchanges. He stated that his conduct was “never romantic or flirtatious” and said his habit of bringing food—such as “pizza, hamburgers and fries, and breakfast tacos”—was something he had done “throughout his career” and was not directed at any one individual.

Riojas rejected the claim that he attempted to isolate the complainant, saying he “never asked [him] to go anywhere… so they would be alone,” including the guard post. He explained that working alone is common due to staffing, noting that “there are normally only one or two troopers assigned to an area.” He also denied offering job opportunities with any ulterior motive, stating that he had “offered jobs to other troopers for many years” and that such offers were not exclusive.

Addressing comments about appearance, Riojas acknowledged discussing fitness and physical training but maintained those conversations were professional. He said he complimented the complainant’s “command presence” and noted he had a “nice voice” after hearing a radio announcement. He also confirmed discussions about weightlifting and physique, explaining that both shared an interest in fitness and had “numerous discussions about muscles and training,” which he said were “non-sexual, nonflirtatious” in nature.

Disputes Over Explicit Comments and Bathroom Remarks

Riojas directly disputed many of the more explicit allegations described in the complaint. He stated he “did not say anything… about oral sex or a trooper using the bathroom” in the manner described by the complainant. While he acknowledged mentioning a situation involving a trooper cleaning himself in a restroom, he said it was something he had heard from others and brought up in conversation, not something he personally witnessed.

He also denied making statements about observing others in restrooms for sexual purposes, stating he “never said he liked using public urinals without dividers as a way to see all the penises.” Similarly, he denied asking the complainant whether he slept naked and rejected claims that he made sexually explicit remarks about coworkers.

Regarding relationship-related comments, Riojas said his statements were misunderstood or taken out of context. He acknowledged saying he would date someone “like” the complainant, but clarified he did not mean it literally. He described one comment—that he would date him if he were “a blue-eyed blonde with big breasts”—as a joke, adding that both “laughed” and that the complainant “did not indicate he had a problem” with the remark at the time.

Acknowledges Some Remarks, Describes Others as Jokes or “Banter”

Riojas did acknowledge making certain statements referenced in the investigation, including a comment that he wished someone would “slip and fall on a banana peel, bump his head, and wake up gay.” He told investigators he could not recall the full context of that remark but described it as “friendly banter” rather than malicious intent.

He also admitted making a separate comment about a supervisor “getting cancer and dying,” which he said he regretted. Riojas described that statement as an “angry outburst” tied to frustration over proposed overtime changes and personal financial strain following a divorce. He emphasized that the comment was not directed at the complainant and said it did not reflect his usual behavior.

Says He Was Unaware of Discomfort, Would Have Stopped

Riojas told investigators he was unaware that his comments were making the complainant uncomfortable. He stated the complainant “never asked him to stop” and said that if he had been told directly, he “would have stopped” and apologized. He also recalled conversations in which he mentioned feeling “lonely” following a recent divorce but said those comments were not intended as romantic advances.

Findings Sustained After Admissions and Corroboration

The Office of Inspector General concluded that both allegations against Trooper Juan Riojas Jr. were supported by the evidence and should be sustained. Investigators found that he made “discourteous and unprofessional” comments, and that the conduct was proven “beyond a preponderance of evidence”  .

The findings relied in part on Riojas’s own admissions. He acknowledged telling a coworker he wished he “slipped and fell on a banana peel, bumped his head, and woke up gay,” and said he “would date him if he was a blue-eyed blonde with big breasts.” He also admitted making a separate comment wishing a supervisor would “get cancer and die,” which was corroborated by another trooper.

Based on those admissions and consistent witness accounts, investigators classified both allegations as sustained. Riojas received a one-day suspension.

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