Judge dismisses indecency charge against church-goer

The Brownsville Herald

A Brownsville municipal judge dismissed an indecency charge against a 48-year-old man accused of fondling himself in a crowded church lobby, but police said they will refile charges.

Brownsville police booked Teodulo Perales into city jail on an indecency with a child by contact charge at 12:46 a.m. Sunday, according to jail records.

According to reports, Perales was sitting on a couch in the foyer of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses at 1946 Old Port Isabel Road.

Church members told police that Perales fondled himself over his pants in front of several church members, including a 5-year-old girl.

Perales allegedly started moaning and making sucking noises on a couch pillow before being removed from the church.

The man allegedly told the churchgoers that he acted that way because he had suffered a stroke, but they called police and pressed charges.

Jail records show that Brownsville Municipal Judge Phil Bellamy dismissed the case on Monday based on a lack of probable cause for the indecency with a child charge.

Brownsville Police Sgt. Kurt Hines said investigators will resubmit the case for review by the Cam-eron County District Attorney’s Office.

Five arrested on drug charges in two incidents

Authorities arrested five men during two Monday incidents in which law enforcement officials confis-cated more than 400 pounds of marijuana.

U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted four men smuggling marijuana along the banks of the Rio Grande near La Paloma early Monday morning, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Jose Isabel Rodriguez Gonzalez, Sergio Rodriguez Mendoza, Carlos Humberto Esquivel Rodriguez and Gilberto Gaona Hernandez allegedly attempted to leave the area in car carrying 60.5 pounds of mari-juana.

The four men each remained in custody at press time for under $20,000 in bonds for second-degree felony possession of marijuana charges.

Jail records show that Combes police also arrested 24-year-old Edward Salinas on a second-degree fel-ony possession of marijuana charge Monday.

A probable cause affidavit states that authorities found 385 pounds of marijuana during a search of his rural Cameron County home in February.

Salinas remains in custody under a $40,000 bond set by Cameron County Magistrate Judge Luis Saenz during a Tuesday morning hearing.

Briefs are compiled by Herald reporter Sergio Chapa

Posted on Apr 05, 06 | 12:00 am