The incident occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. was driving a Ford F-150 northbound in the southbound lanes of the freeway leading to a head-on collision with a black 2024 Ford Mustang driven by Portillo who had Alcoser and another passenger with her The impact caused the F-150 to overturn and catch fire another passenger was transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment Police noted that Deputy Portillo had just begun working at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in September 2023 and she will be deeply missed by her community An active investigation is ongoing to gather further information The team at Sweet James offers their heartfelt sympathies to the friends and family of Deputy Meredith Portillo If you or your family are involved or affected by this accident and would like the official Police Report of this incident laweeklyLAWeekly Instagram: Featuring the culture of LA since 1978 ✌️ Sign up for The Brief our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news who was the acting police chief on the day of the mass school shooting in Uvalde stepped down from the Uvalde Police Department on Thursday just days before city leaders were to decide his fate Pargas was with the department for 18 years and announced Thursday that he would retire a communications firm representing the Uvalde mayor’s office The Uvalde City Council was set to discuss Pargas’ termination during a special meeting Saturday formed by individuals and families affected by the Uvalde massacre said Pargas chose to step down nearly six months after the shooting continuing to show his “lack of character.” Mariano Pargas showed a complete lack of courage and leadership while he presided over the Uvalde Police Department during one of the worst law enforcement failures in American history.” Pargas was among nearly 400 law enforcement officials who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting on May 24 but waited more than an hour to take down the gunman Nineteen students and two teachers were killed During a Uvalde school board meeting Wednesday evening trustees unanimously named Josh Gutierrez the interim executive director of safety and security and police chief for the school district Gutierrez previously worked with Gary Patterson at East Central Independent School District in Bexar County Pargas was placed on leave in July after a Texas House report showed that several law enforcement agencies were at fault for the Uvalde response Pargas’ suspension was the first sign of official fallout after a damning state report also showed that police disregarded their active-shooter training Pargas’ dismissal comes after a CNN report released Monday also showed that he was told that “eight to nine” children were alive in the classrooms at Robb Elementary but failed to organize help Reporter William Melhado contributed to this story Choose an amount or learn more about membership all eyes were on the Uvalde County Commissioners Court as the families of victims from Robb Elementary continued to seek answers They turned out in droves to demand the resignation of Uvalde County commissioner Mariano Pargas whose role as the acting Uvalde Police Department (UPD) chief in the response to the shooting was heavily criticized in last week Department of Justice (DOJ) report it did not stop the families from demanding accountability from Uvalde "It's a constant reminder that this is what happened on May 24th the families of the 21 victims are reminded of the failures of that day the families are demanding accountability -- starting with Pargas "He indirectly assisted Salvador Ramos in murdering children and teachers,” Velma Lisa Duran "You associate the name Pargas with the children that were taking their last breath the teachers taking their last breath that could have been saved,” Rizo added The victim’s families rallied at Monday's meeting demanding that the court get Pargas to resign for his lack of leadership The DOJ report stated that Pargas did not take charge of the situation even though he was one of the first on the scene that day and the ranking officer at the time They went on to say that he also did not have sufficient active shooter training 48 minutes after the subject entered the school the subject fired four additional shots inside classrooms 111/112,” The DOJ wrote “UPD Acting Chief Pargas continued to provide no direction "He does not deserve to be in a leadership role” Brett Cross “When you hear that children are dying and you walk away does the county not think that he is going to walk away on them?" and AJ Martinez came to the meeting Monday -- holding signs saying "why didn't you save us when we called 9-1-1" and "Pargas failed us." "The commissioners' court has no authority to remove any elected officer from office,” Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell said Mitchell told all the families today that to get Pargas removed they must file a petition with the district court and have a jury trial Families said they are going to begin that process Rizo also asked Mitchell to use his personal relationship with Pargas to convince him to resign “I don't know that I have that much of an influence with him and share with him what was said today,” Mitchell said but we are going to keep fighting no matter what," Cross added Uvalde city leaders on Sunday placed acting police Chief Lt Mariano Pargas on administrative leave as they launch an internal review of the department’s response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting Former Austin police detective Jesse Prado The moves follow the Sunday release of a 77-page report by a Texas House committee charged with reviewing the action taken by law enforcement during the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin echoed the sentiment from the report’s findings that “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making" were factors in the shooting and subsequently in the decision to place Pargas on leave Pargas was acting police chief on the day of the shooting "We feel like that was the right call until we get all of the facts,'' McLaughlin said City officials did not say whether Pargas would continue to be paid More:Embattled Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo resigns from City Council, newspaper reports The internal investigation will delve into whether Pargas was responsible for taking command steps taken to establish that command and the interaction between the number of responding agencies “We agree with the committee’s review of the incident there was a failure of command,” McLaughlin said in a release ”We want to know which agency took what specific actions to take command and where did the critical breakdown occur." Some of the footage shows students being rescued through windows in classrooms away from the shooting in Rooms 111 and 112 One officer uses a collapsible baton to smash a window as another yells into the opening: "Is anybody in here I want everyone to come to the window right now." As children are carefully helped out to avoid broken glass they run to waiting officers in a nearby parking lot Texas - A Uvalde city source has confirmed former Uvalde Police Department Lieutenant Mariano Pargas Jr is appealing the general discharge he received when he left the department Pargas was the acting Uvalde Police Chief the day of the Robb Elementary mass shooting His response came under fire after it was revealed law enforcement agencies took 77 minutes to confront the gunman Pargas has petitioned to change his status to an honorable discharge and the Uvalde City Manager is in the process of submitting evidence to oppose this appeal Pargas had been placed on administrative leave in July 2022 on the same day the Texas House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting released their findings On Wednesday, former Uvalde ISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo won his appeal upgrading his less-than-honorable discharge status Texas – Former Uvalde Police Department Lieutenant Mariano Pargas Jr has resigned from the Uvalde Police Department Mario Pargas was a lieutenant and serving chief on the day of the mass shooting on May 24 Pargas and members of law enforcement were aware there were children in danger even as they waited more than 70 minutes to confront the gunman Pargas spoke with a dispatcher at 12:16 p.m that officers entered the room and killed the gunman The City of Uvalde placed Pargas on administrative leave in July following a report from lawmakers on the response to the shooting After Pargas did not show up to Wednesday's commissioners' court meeting and new information came forward will likely be canceled since its’ focus was terminating the officer’s employment Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsJulie Moreno UVALDE Texas – Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez turned in his resignation letter on Tuesday “After deep contemplation and consideration I believe it is time for me to embrace a new chapter in my career,” Rodriguez said in a statement Rodriguez told the Uvalde Leader-News that he was doing what was best for him and his family and said he wasn’t “forced His resignation letter mentions nothing of the May 24 2022 Robb Elementary School massacre or the scrutiny on his department since Rodriguez has been chief of police in Uvalde since 2018 but he was on a scheduled vacation out of state when the shooting occurred Last week, Austin-area investigator Jesse Prado presented his Independent Expert Investigative Report into the Uvalde Police Department’s response to the shooting Prado said the department did not commit any wrongdoing or violate any policy in its response to the elementary school Prado placed the blame on communication issues crowds outside the school and officers not having the correct keys on hand The Prado report conflicts with the assessments made in a report released by the Department of Justice, which pointed a finger at Pargas and his lack of action that day Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith released the following statement after Uvalde Chief of Police Daniel Rodriguez announced his resignation: “The City of Uvalde is grateful to Chief Rodriguez for his 26 years of service to our community and we wish him the best as he pursues new career opportunities Assistant Chief of Police Homer Delgado will be named Interim Chief of Police as the City Manager and I undertake the search for a full-time replacement in consultation with the City Council Nothing is more important than the safety of our community and we look forward to working together to identify the best candidate to serve the people of Uvalde.” Read the full statement from Rodriguez below: Chief Resignation by Julie Moreno on Scribd Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved Email Newsletters KSAT RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us KSAT Internships Careers at KSAT Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Chief Resignation by Julie Moreno on Scribd Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Texas - The guardian of one of the victims in the Uvalde elementary school tragedy was arrested on Monday morning The Uvalde Police Department officials confirmed that Brett Cross was taken into custody just after 10:30 a.m following a verbal confrontation with Uvalde County Commissioner Mariano Pargas during the county commissioner's meeting Cross addressed Pargas and how he could put forth a motion to approve meeting minutes when he has been absent for the past few months "Our taxes are paying the man's salary who refuses to do anything," said Cross during the meeting RELATED:Uvalde massacre DOJ report highlights devastating effects of official miscommunication But things get heated when Cross confronts Pargas about his lack of action on May 24 where 19 elementary school students and two teachers were murdered by a gunman at Robb Elementary.One of the victims was Uziyah Garcia "We got a phone call that there were 8 to 9 students still alive in that classroom and you walk the @#$% away," Cross said And you have the gall to stand up here in front of everybody," said Cross but was then approached by officers already in the courtroom and escorted outside where he was placed into custody RELATED:Uvalde families ask county commissioners to force Pargas to resign amid damning DOJ report The victim families have demanded that Pargas resign and are in the process of gaining support for a petition to have him removed from office whose role as the acting Uvalde Police Department chief in the response to the shooting was heavily criticized in January's Department of Justice report At a recent meeting,survivors like Khloie Torres "Why didn't you save us when we called 9-1-1" and "Pargas failed us." Cross has been released from jail and is being charged with Disrupting a Meeting or Procession His bond was set to $1,500 and it was a personal recognizance bond Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Leigh Waldman Eddie Latigo Texas – Emotions were running high at the Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting as survivors and families of the Robb Elementary victims demanded accountability Commissioner Mariano Pargas was the acting Uvalde police chief on the day of the mass shooting Although he stepped down from the law enforcement position in 2022 The recent Department of Justice report points a finger at Pargas and his lack of action that day “Why didn’t you save us when we called 911 We survived now we fight!” signs held by some of the survivors from classroom 112 read First Uvalde County Commissioners court meeting since a scathing DOJ report about the law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary shooting. Former acting Uvalde police chief Mariano Pargas was named in the report several times. Pargas is also a county commissioner here. pic.twitter.com/n3wsSfaDvF that didn’t stop the criticism toward him from the families and survivors “That just shows what person he is — careless, irresponsible, and it shows to the whole world if he failed us (May) 24th, he’s going to continue failing,” said Felicha Martinez, Xavier Lopez’s mom The third-floor room of the Uvalde County Courthouse was left with standing room only for the 10 a.m commissioners court as speakers addressed the commissioners and Pargas’ empty seat Nearly all the speakers signed up today asked for Pargas to be removed and taken off the county payroll “We’re paying a man that did nothing. My daughter sat there for 77 minutes and begged. She’s the one who made the phone calls Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell says unless Pargas steps down himself He says the removal process is all laid out in a government statute “Any elected official has to be removed by action of the district court Commissioners court has no authority whatsoever,” Mitchell said In December 2022 KSAT spoke with Pargas at a commissioners’ court meeting “All I can say is that a lot of stuff has been put out there is not the way it happened That’s all I can say,” Pargas said at the time Pargas said a month after CNN first reported the acting Uvalde police chief was told by dispatch a child in the classroom called saying “Eight to nine are still alive.” That child was Khloie Torres Body camera video from the City of Uvalde from May 24 revealed this conversation between UPD Detective Jose Rodriguez and Pargas: “They tell me a DPS Ranger has somebody in there,” Pargas answered Now that this review of the failed law enforcement response is out and Pargas is called out by name dozens of times and he should step down,” said Dora Mendoza Find more Uvalde stories on KSAT.com here First Uvalde County Commissioners court meeting since a scathing DOJ report about the law enforcement response to the Robb Elementary shooting. Former acting Uvalde police chief Mariano Pargas was named in the report several times. Pargas is also a county commissioner here. pic.twitter.com/n3wsSfaDvF This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page UNMC leaders are creating a more vibrant academic health science center and a stronger economy for all Nebraskans UNMC is a welcoming organization working to make all our faculty we work from core values to achieve our strategic goals and vision for transforming the health of Nebraska and beyond The University of Nebraska Medical Center has campuses across Nebraska bonded through a shared culture and in real time The UNMC Department of Public Safety works to provide a safe environment for those who 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killed 19 students and two teachers He was initially uncontested for the position he’s held for more than 15 years but in recent months three write-in challengers emerged — Javier J Despite not having any previous political experience the three candidates said they wanted to see changes in Uvalde Because the write-in ballots needed to be hand-counted Uvalde County residents waited until late Tuesday night to learn the results held an election watch party that was attended by several victims’ families parents of victims said they wanted the winner to keep their children in their minds “Whatever help they need from me and my family I will help as much as I can,” Cazares said win or lose you know I hope this person does the best for our community.” Get more election results on our homepage and Vote 2022 page. Be the first to know by downloading our newsreader app or signing up for breaking news email alerts Choose Your RaceFind Race ResultsUvalde County Commissioner Precinct 2CandidateVotes Mariano Pargas Jr.*(D)58445%Julio ValdezJulio Valdez44034%Javier J Cazares20516%Diana Olvedo-KarauDiana Olvedo-Karau574%*Incumbent100% of Precincts Reporting (16 / 16) Before the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde incumbent Uvalde County Commissioner Mariano Pargas He defeated his challenger in the March primary and had no opponent in November That was before the shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead who was also the interim Uvalde Police Department chief during the massacre is facing three write-in candidates — Javier J but they all want to see changes in Uvalde In the days and weeks following the shootings devastated families seeking answers and accountability crowded into city council meetings Uvalde CISD school board meetings and commissioners court meetings to confront local leaders directly This led to the firing of Uvalde CISD police chief Pete Arredondo and to him surrendering the seat he had just won on the city council Nearly two months after the massacre, the City of Uvalde suspended Pargas following the release of a Texas House Investigative Committee’s report on the shooting But Pargas kept his seat on the Commissioners Court He did not attend several meetings following the shooting including the meeting where commissioners voted 3-0 to launch a review of the sheriff’s office’s response to the shooting at Robb Elementary He has since been in attendance at commissioners court meetings Parents and activists were not just taking their grievances to local leaders, they went to Austin and Washington, DC to meet with lawmakers with less-than-desired results. Governor Greg Abbott did not call a special session to tighten gun laws And Republican lawmakers shied away from discussing a ban on assault weapons or raising the age limit to buy assault from 18 to 21 elected leaders steered the conversation toward school safety and mental health for many of the families of the victims and students at Robb Elementary School They had been politically activated by their fight for answers and change And they set their sights on local elections to make a difference an incumbent sailing to another term in office without an opponent suddenly found himself with three write-in candidates looking to unseat him Cazares is the father of Jacklyn “Jackie” Cazares, who was killed in that shooting at Robb Elementary. He told the Texas Tribune in September that it is not in his nature to be a political activist but he told his daughter at the hospital that he would keep fighting And that fight has led him to run for office Retiree Olvedo-Karau did not lose a child in that shooting but does have nieces and nephews that went to Robb Elementary is not talking much about the election or his part in it but has said he wants to see changes in his community All three are novices but did get their applications and their filing or required signatures in by the August 22nd deadline Their names will be on the list of declared write-in candidates that will be posted in every voting booth in Uvalde County for early voting and on election day Commissioner Vargas has had the seat for more than 15 years And he has run for other offices in Uvalde County before including sheriff and justice of the peace write-in candidates do not stand much of a chance in elections But things are no longer normal in Uvalde County The political climate and the status quo since May 24 have changed drastically Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved great aunt of shooting victim Uziyah Garcia talks to the media from a vehicle after picking up a copy of the Texas House investigative committee report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School Texas House investigative committee chairman Rep Dustin Burrows holds a copy of its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School as the committee meets Media talks to the parents and other family members of shooting victim Uziyah Garcia after they picked up a copy of the Texas House investigative committee report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School FILE - In this photo from surveillance video provided by the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District via the Austin American-Statesman authorities respond to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Nearly 400 law enforcement officials rushed to the mass shooting that left 21 people dead at the elementary school but “systemic failures” created a chaotic scene that lasted more than an hour before the gunman was finally confronted and killed according to a report from investigators released Sunday (Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District/Austin American-Statesman via AP Media approach the parents and other family members of shooting victim Uziyah Garcia after they picked up a copy of the Texas House investigative committee report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School talks to the media from the back of a vehicle after picking up a copy of the Texas House investigative committee report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School tries to hold back tears as she talks to the media from a vehicle after picking up a copy of the Texas House investigative committee report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School stepmother and father of shooting victim Uziyah Garcia talk to the media from the back of a vehicle after picking up a copy of the Texas House investigative committee report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School stepmother of shooting victim Uziyah Garcia FILE - Reggie Daniels pays his respects a memorial at Robb Elementary School on June 9 Artists work on a mural to honor Amerie Jo Garza a student who was killed in the shootings at Robb Elementary school last month The Texas House investigative committee released its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School Sunday Artists work on a mural to honor Eva Mireles a teacher who was killed in the shootings at Robb Elementary school last month Joe Moody answers questions during a news conference after the Texas House investigative committee released its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School A Texas State Trooper and other members of law enforcement listen to the Texas House investigative committee during a news conference after they released a full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School Tina Quintanilla-Taylor raises her and and voice as she tries to ask a question of the Texas House investigative committee at a news conference after they released its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School Family of shooting victims listen to the Texas House investigative committee release its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School answers questions during a full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School as the committee meets aunt of shooting victims Jackie Cazares and Annabell Roidriguez wipes away tears as she listens to the Texas House investigative committee release its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School Residents and family of shooting victims listen to the Texas House investigative committee release its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School speaks to the media following a news conference where the Texas House investigative committee released its full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School Michael Brown holds protest signs as the Texas House investigative committee prepares to present it’s full report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School arrives for a presentation of the Texas House investigative committee report on the shootings at Robb Elementary School Texas (AP) — Nearly 400 law enforcement officials rushed to a mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school but “egregiously poor decision-making” resulted in more than an hour of chaos before the gunman who took 21 lives was finally confronted and killed according to a damning investigative report released Sunday the report and more than three hours of newly released body camera footage from the May 24 tragedy amounted to the fullest account to date of one of the worst school shootings in U.S Some families blasted police as cowards and demanded resignations law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training and they failed to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety,” the report said The gunman fired approximately 142 rounds inside the building — and it is “almost certain” that at least 100 shots came before any officer entered which laid out in detail numerous failures — No one assumed command despite scores of officers being on the scene — The commander of a Border Patrol tactical team waited for a bullet-proof shield and working master key for the classroom — A Uvalde Police Department officer said he heard about 911 calls that had come from inside the classroom and that his understanding was the officers on one side of the building knew there were victims trapped inside The report — the most complete account yet of the hesitant and haphazard response to the May 24 massacre — was written by an investigative committee from the Texas House of Representatives the findings set in motion at least one fallout: Lt a Uvalde Police Department officer who was the city’s acting police chief during the massacre Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said an investigation would be launched to determine whether Pargas should have taken command of the scene He also disclosed for the first time that some officers had left the force since the shooting but did not provide an exact number Anger flashed in Uvalde even over how the report was rolled out: Tina Quintanilla-Taylor shouted at the three-member Texas House committee as they left a news conference after the findings were released Committee members had invited families of the victims to discuss the report privately but Quintanilla-Taylor said the committee should have taken questions from the community They need to come back and give us their undivided attention,” she said later 376 law enforcement officers massed at the school The overwhelming majority of those who responded were federal and state law enforcement Border Patrol agents and 91 state police officials the Committee did not find any ‘villains’ in the course of its investigation,” the report said “There is no one to whom we can attribute malice or ill motives we found systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making.” The report noted that many of the hundreds of law enforcement responders who rushed to the school were better trained and equipped than the school district police — which the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety previously faulted for not going into the room sooner Investigators said it was not their job to determine whether officers should be held accountable saying that decisions rests with each law enforcement agency only one of the hundreds of officers on the scene — Pete Arredondo the Uvalde school district police chief — was known to have been on leave “Everyone who came on the scene talked about this being chaotic,” said Texas state Rep Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S Border Patrol did not immediately return requests for comment Sunday The report followed weeks of closed-door interviews with more than 40 people including witnesses and law enforcement who were on the scene of the shooting No single officer has received as much scrutiny since the shooting as Arredondo who also resigned from his newly appointed seat on the City Council after the shooting Arredondo told the committee he treated the shooter as “barricaded subject,” according to the report and defended never treating the scene as an active-shooter situation because he did not have visual contact with the gunman Arredondo also tried to find a key for the classrooms but no one ever bothered to see if the doors were locked “Arredondo’s search for a key consumed his attention and wasted precious time delaying the breach of the classrooms,” the report read The report criticized as “lackadaisical” the approach of the hundreds of officers who surrounded the school and said that they should have recognized that Arredondo remaining in the school without reliable communication was “inconsistent” with him being the scene commander The report concluded that some officers waited because they relied on bad information while others “had enough information to know better.” Uvalde officials separately made public for the first time hours of body camera footage from the city’s police officers who responded to the attack It includes video of several officers reacting to word from a dispatcher roughly 30 minutes after the shooting began Other body camera video from Uvalde Staff Sgt. shows the officer approaching the classrooms when gunfire rings out at 11:37 a.m We’ve got to get in there.” Another officer can be heard saying “DPS is sending their people.” when officers finally breach the classrooms and kill the shooter Calls for police accountability have grown in Uvalde since the shooting The report is the result of one of several investigations into the shooting including another led by the Justice Department A report earlier this month by tactical experts at Texas State University alleged that a Uvalde police officer had a chance to stop the gunman before he went inside the school armed with an AR-15 But in an example of the conflicting statements and disputed accounts since the shooting Officers told the committee that the person they thought was the gunman was actually a school coach The earlier report had been done at the request of the Texas Department of Public Safety which McLaughlin has increasingly criticized and accused of trying to minimize the role of its troopers during the massacre has called the police response an abject failure The committee didn’t “receive medical evidence” to show that police breaching the classroom sooner would have saved lives but it concluded that “it is plausible that some victims could have survived if they had not had to wait 73 additional minutes for rescue.” whose 9-year-old son was in the cafeteria at Robb Elementary on the day of the shooting and survived came to the committee’s news conference Sunday carrying signs saying “ We Want Accountability” and “Prosecute Pete Arredondo.” Brown said he has not yet read the report but already knows enough to say that police “have blood on their hands.” Associated Press writer Jamie Stengle contributed from Dallas Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings Texas (WOAI) — Former Uvalde Police Department Lt has stepped down from his position at the Uvalde Police Department Members of law enforcement were aware there were children in danger even as they waited more than 70 minutes to confront the gunman the City of Uvalde rescinded his retirement The scheduled special meeting on Saturday will likely be canceled since its’ focus was terminating the officer’s employment state officials have focused blame on the school district police chief saying he made “terrible decisions” as the on-scene commander not to confront the gunman sooner Arredondo was fired in August but has said he didn’t consider himself the person in charge and assumed someone else had taken control of the police response that eventually swelled to nearly 400 officers EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report Texas - It will be an emotional election in Uvalde Javier Cazares is among three write-in candidates challenging the Precinct 2 County Commissioner Pargas was the acting chief of police the day of the shooting He remains on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation still pending Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More DALLAS (AP) — The Uvalde officer who was leading the city's police department during the hesitant law enforcement response to an elementary school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers has stepped down Mariano Pargas retired on Thursday afternoon after 18 years working for the city She said his retirement was immediate but the city is still processing the paperwork Pargas is the second police leader to leave law enforcement in the fallout since the massacre in May, when hundreds of officers waited more than an hour to confront the gunman inside a classroom at Robb Elementary School His retirement comes ahead of a Saturday meeting at which the city council was set to consider firing him Pargas could not be immediately reached for comment He previously told CNN that his lawyer instructed him not to speak publicly but “there’s a lot of stuff that I can explain Audio recordings published by CNN show that as officers were massing around the school a dispatcher told Pargas there were “eight to nine" kids still alive inside the classroom where the shooter was holed up Pargas can be heard acknowledging the information but more than 30 minutes would pass before a tactical team entered and killed the gunman Authorities have said the gunman did most of his shooting within minutes of entering the classroom but it’s unclear whether there’s an official tally of how many children in the room survived whose son was shot and was one of the survivors told The Associated Press that 11 children were not killed and their families try to stay in touch Kids have publicly recounted playing dead to avoid being noticed by the gunman In addition to Pargas' retirement and Arredondo's ouster victims families and some lawmakers have called in recent months for the resignation or firing of Col the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety a legislative investigation and media reports have shown the state police had a larger role at the scene than the department appeared to suggest in the immediate aftermath of the shooting Ninety-one DPS troopers were among the 376 law enforcement officers who ultimately responded Seven were put under internal investigation this summer but McCraw has defended his agency's overall response At a meeting Wednesday of the Uvalde County commissioners’ court, community members called on Pargas to resign from the panel. Pargas, who was re-elected to county government on Nov. 8, was absent from the meeting, the Uvalde Leader-News report ed whose 10-year-old granddaughter Amerie Jo Garza was killed said Pargas needed to do “the right thing” and step down “He was a coward that day and he’s cowardly now Josh Gutierrez was named interim chief of police for the Uvalde school district Gutierrez will lead the handful of officers who have been hired since the shooting Five officers who were part of the law enforcement response were assigned other duties pending the outcome of an investigation into their actions that day Interim superintendent Gary Patterson opened the meeting by talking about the courage that the families of the victims have shown. Patterson takes the spot from Hal Harrell, who announced last month his plans to retire. “We have all the respect in the world for how you’ve handled things in the worst possible circumstance,” Patterson said School district trustees on Wednesday also approved the location of the new school that will replace Robb Elementary deciding it will be built next to another school a few miles away The board decided months ago to demolish Robb Elementary and on Wednesday recommended forming a committee to decide what should happen to the site Associated Press writer Jamie Stengle contributed to this report Read AP’s full coverage of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting An investigation Uvalde city leaders ordered into the Robb Elementary School shooting has put no blame on local police officers and defended their actions but still acknowledged a series of failures during the response The attack left 19 children and two teachers dead both whose children were among 19 children killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary embrace after speaking at a special city council meeting in Uvalde Almost two years after the deadly school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead the city council met to discuss the results of an independent investigation it requested into the response by local police officers who’s daughter Lexi was among 19 children killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary speaks at a special city council meeting in Uvalde who’s son Uziyah Garcia was among 19 children killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary representing the 77 minutes law enforcement waited to enter a classroom at Robb Elementary during a school shooting during a special city council meeting in Uvalde whose son Xavier was among 19 children killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary speak at a special city council meeting in Uvalde depart a special city council meeting after speaking in Uvalde The images of 19 children and two school teachers killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary are seen on a T-shirt during a special city council meeting in Uvalde A woman attends a special city council meeting in Uvalde Family members attend a special city council meeting in Uvalde Family members walk out in the middle of a special city council meeting in Uvalde an Austin-based investigator shares his findings at a special city council meeting in Uvalde is pursued by the media after he shared his findings at a special city council meeting in Uvalde Family members arrive for a special city council meeting in Uvalde A family member attends a special city council meeting in Uvalde attends a special city council meeting to share his findings in Uvalde A Uvalde police officers patch a badge are seen as he stands watch over a special city council meeting in Uvalde an Austin-based investigator waits to share his findings at a special city council meeting in Uvalde arrives to share his findings at a special city council meeting in Uvalde bows his head during a prayer before he shared his findings at a special city council meeting in Uvalde FILE - Reggie Daniels pays his respects a memorial at Robb Elementary School created to honor the victims killed in the school shooting Nearly two years after the deadly school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead the results of an independent investigation it requested into the response by local police officers FILE - Crosses with the names of shooting victims are placed outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde But an investigator hired by Uvalde officials found that the city’s officers did not violate policies praised their actions during one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S The presentation prompted an eruption of anger among some of the victims’ family members who also scolded the investigator for leaving the room before they had a chance to address him an Austin-based investigator and former police detective who made the report for the Uvalde City Council began his presentation by describing the failures by responding local state and federal officers at the scene that day: communication problems lack of available equipment and delays on breaching the classroom “There were problems all day long with communication and lack of it The officers had no way of knowing what was being planned “If they would have had a ballistic shield it would have been enough to get them to the door.” The city’s report is just one of several probes into the massacre including the Justice Department report in January that criticized the “cascading failures” of responding law enforcement Law enforcement took more than an hour to get inside the classroom and kill the gunman even as children inside the classrooms called 911 But Prado said his review showed that officers showed “immeasurable strength” and “level-headed thinking” as they faced fire from the shooter and refrained from shooting into a darkened classroom “They were being shot at from eight feet away from the door,” Prado said Prado also said the families who rushed to the school hampered efforts to set up a chain of command as they had to conduct crowd control with parents trying to get in the building or pleading with officers to go inside ”At times they were difficult to control,” Prado said ” They were wanting to break through police barriers.” Family members erupted when Prado briefly left after his presentation Prado returned and sat and listened when victims’ families cried and criticized the report “My daughter was left for dead,” Ruben Zamorra said “These police officers signed up to do a job A criminal investigation by Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell’s office into the law enforcement response in the May 2022 shooting remains open A grand jury was summoned earlier this year and some law enforcement officials have already been asked to testify Uvalde City Council member Hector Luevano said he was “embarrassed” and “insulted” by the city’s report This community deserves more,” Luevano said The city report comes after a nearly 600-page report by the Department of Justice in January found massive failures by law enforcement including acting with “no urgency” to establish a command post assuming the subject was barricaded despite ongoing gunfire and communicating inaccurate information to grieving families “Had law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices in active shooter situations and gone right after the shooter and stopped him lives would have been saved and people would have survived,” U.S Attorney General Merrick Garland said when the federal report was released The DOJ reported that 48 minutes after the shooter entered the school UPD Acting Chief Mariano Pargas “continued to provide no direction The city report notes the agency’s SWAT team had not trained consistently since before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 Three UPD officers who were present in the hallway during the shooting “were the leadership of the SWAT team and had the most experience with Uvalde PD.” Greg Abbott initially praised the law enforcement response saying the reason the shooting was “not worse is because law enforcement officials did what they do.” He claimed that officers had run toward gunfire to save lives that story changed as information released through media reports and lawmakers’ findings illustrated the botched law enforcement response At least five officers who were on the scene have lost their jobs including two Department of Public Safety officers and the on-site commander Associated Press writers Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City Lozano in Houston and Anita Snow in Phoenix contributed to this report The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said on Tuesday that it will expand its healthcare packages soon to cover rare diseases and mobility devices PhilHealth senior vice president for health finance policy sector said that among the 10 rare diseases that will soon be covered are inborn errors of metabolism pwede siya ma-diagnose sa pagkabata pa lang,” said Pargas in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon we already have identified cases in the country These diseases can be diagnosed at the young age.) the state health insurer will also cover assistive mobility devices like wheelchairs for those who are prescribed with it “Kalimitan pong inirereklamo ng ating mga kababayan yung pananakit ng likod nila and any other mobility issues na kung saan kinakailangan rin po ng rehabilitation kailangan ng mga assistive devices tulad po ng wheelchair or crutches ito po ay iko-cover na rin ng PhilHealth,” said Pargas (The public usually complain about their aching backs and any other mobility issues which sometimes require rehabilitation or assistive devices like wheelchairs or crutches would be needed PhilHealth said that it is hoping to finalize the policies on the new packages before the year ends “Pero para po doon sa mga specific rules for every package na ilalabas natin ginagawa pa natin yung kabuuan ng polisiya at hopefully yung policy mailabas natin ngayon pong Desiyembre para ma-implement natin siya bago matapos ang taon,” Pargas added (But for the specific rules for every package that we will release we are still working on the policies and hopefully we can issue them this December so we can implement it before the year ends.) The state health insurer earlier announced that it will now cover dental care services such as mouth examination/oral screening {{gallery.imageDetails.images.0.description}} Two teens accused of stealing pecans were arrested Thursday in far East El Paso County were arrested after deputies responded to a report that they were causing a disturbance at a property in the 600 block of South Fabens Road in Fabens El Paso County Sheriff’s Office officials said The property owner told deputies that two people had entered the property and took pecans without consent Deputies arrested Pargas and Gomez on suspicion of theft The teenagers were booked into the El Paso County Jail on bonds of $500 Both remained in jail as of Friday morning Want more news like this? Click here to subscribe to elpasotimes.com Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinez31 on Twitter SEATTLE - The future of DACA could have profound implication on the future of thousands of Washington residents One of those DACA recipients, 23-year-old Graciela Nunez Pargas has been living in Washington for nearly 16 years and considers the Pacific Northwest her home She was uncertain about her future after the Department of Homeland Security rescinded the program last fall But Tuesday night, she was relieved when a judge ruled that rescinding the program was unlawful it was a like wow the judicial system works," said Nunez Pargas She said the ruling unleashed seven months of pent-up anxiety it gave me more relief over all the anxiety and the fear I've been feeling since September 5th," said Nunez Pargas That's the day last year when President Trump announced he would end the program that shielded immigrants from deportation who were brought to the U.S In Washington alone there are about 17,000 DACA recipients I felt as if my whole life was erased," saidNunez Pargas she's been working for what she hopes will become a pathway for citizenship in a country she has long considered her own From marching on our nation's capitol to helping pass legislation in Olympia,Nunez Pargas is telling her story that began when she and her parents fled Venezuela in 2002 She said the latest court ruling feels like a win "This is exactly why my parents and I came here to the United States for this opportunity to be treated as equal be treated equal under the law," said Nunez Pargas She graduated from the University of Washington worked a a legal assistant a Seattle law firm and right now her skills are being split between helping the Washington Labor Council and various community organizations advocating for immigration rights "I don't know where I'll be 10 years from now but I know I want to be with my family," saidNunez Pargas "I will fight to make that happen in the U.S Sign In Join now at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette CO to Manuel Martinez and Ruby (Moralez) Pargas. Jimmy was married to Dorothy Torres on October 2 He then married Yolanda Dominguez on May 28 1978 and was married until her death on November 6 Jimmy attended Greeley schools and served in the United States Army He was honorably discharged on October 24th and head custodian at St Vrain School District Vickie Trujillo and granddaughters Megan Martinez and Christy Solis He is survived by son Andrew (Jeri) Martinez of LaSalle He is also survived by sisters; Jennie Martinez Dee (Mark) Johnson and brothers; Cruz Alarcon He was also survived by his long-term caregiver Paula Gonzales and many nieces and nephews Peter Catholic Church in Greeley followed by inurnment at Lakeview Cemetery in Windsor CO. A reception will follow at the LaSalle Community Center in LaSalle Heritage Funeral & Cremation Services of Lafayette is handling cremation arrangements Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.