San Antonio – Former Bexar County constable Michelle Barrientes Vela, who was fully acquitted of criminal charges in October 2024, filed two federal civil‑rights lawsuits this month seeking accountability for what she says was a false and misleading 2019 investigation.
First lawsuit targets Texas Ranger and deputy
The suit filed on Sept. 8 names Texas Ranger Bradley Freeman and Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Escobedo as defendants. Barrientes Vela alleges that Escobedo, a 16‑year veteran of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, inserted false information into an April 2019 incident report from Rodriguez Park. The report claimed a park visitor said the constable was shaking him down for cash to pay for security during Easter weekend.
According to the complaint, Escobedo never actually spoke with the parkgoer and his patrol vehicle was several miles away from the West Side park at the time. The false allegation formed a central part of the 2020 indictment that charged Barrientes Vela with tampering with government records, aggravated perjury and official oppression.
Allegations against the lead investigator
Freeman, who led the original criminal case, is accused of mischaracterizing security‑payment records and omitting key details from his 2019 probable‑cause affidavit. During Barrientes Vela’s 2022 trial, Freeman’s testimony nearly caused a mistrial. Months later a judge held Freeman in contempt for violating a court order that barred him from discussing allegations beyond the tampering charge, a ruling upheld by a visiting judge in 2023.
Second lawsuit focuses on county officials
The second civil‑rights action, filed Friday, names Bexar County itself as a defendant. It claims county leaders, including former County Judge Nelson Wolff, failed to correct inaccurate information supplied to investigators regarding the hiring of security for a park pavilion. The complaint also notes that county officials made numerous public comments about Barrientes Vela around the time her Precinct 2 office was raided in September 2019.
Background and exoneration
Barrientes Vela was convicted in September 2022 of felony tampering with records, receiving a sentence of five years’ probation, 90 days in jail and 600 hours of community service. She appealed, and in October 2024 a Texas appeals court reversed both tampering convictions and fully acquitted her. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined to review the case in February 2025, leaving her exonerated.
Representing herself in both suits, Barrientes Vela said in a press release, “These matters are about transparency, accountability, and the principle that government should answer to the people. I am asking the courts to examine the evidence, protect constitutional rights, and allow the truth to be heard through the judicial process.”
Official responses
A Bexar County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuits, and a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson also declined comment via email.
The lawsuits underscore ongoing concerns about law‑enforcement accountability in Bexar County and highlight the importance of accurate record‑keeping and transparent investigative practices.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
