San Marcos city officials reviewed a March 14 traffic stop that involved Officer Jaciel Cortina, Police Chief Stan Standridge, a 17-year-old driver named Esteban Reyes and his father Gerardo Gonzalez Reyes, 44. The incident began with a report about a 15-year-old girl and ended with two arrests, an ICE detainer discovered after booking, and administrative action from the city. After an internal review the department issued a 24-hour suspension and ordered mandatory retraining for Cortina on de-escalation and investigative practices.
Just before 4 a.m. on March 14, San Marcos officers were sent to check on a report of a 15-year-old attempting to leave her mother’s home and get into a red pickup truck. The mother believed an older man she did not know intended to leave with the girl, so officers searched for a vehicle matching that description. At the scene, they located a red truck but were unsure whether the girl had already left the house.
The driver of the truck was later identified as 17-year-old Esteban Reyes, who did not get out after officers asked him to exit the vehicle multiple times. Gerardo Gonzalez Reyes, 44, was in the passenger seat and, the city said, “held onto (his son’s) arm and attempted to keep the driver inside the truck.” Backup was called, officers opened the vehicle and Esteban was physically removed from the driver’s seat.
Investigators later confirmed the 15-year-old never left her mother’s home and was not in the truck, so no crime involving that juvenile had occurred. Still, both Esteban Reyes and Gerardo Gonzalez Reyes were booked into the Hays County Law Enforcement Center on charges of interfering with public duties. The initial confusion over the girl’s whereabouts proved central to the department’s review.
Cortina was placed on administrative leave following the incident while Chief Stan Standridge conducted a review. The city announced on Tuesday that the review concluded with a 24-hour suspension for Cortina and a requirement to complete retraining in de-escalation and investigative practices. The decision came after the internal investigation identified policy shortcomings in how the stop and subsequent arrests were handled.
The arresting officer discovered after booking that Gerardo Gonzalez Reyes had an immigration detainer issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. An immigration detainer is a request sent from ICE to law enforcement agencies, including jails, to notify the immigration agency before releasing an immigrant and hold them for up to 48 hours. “The arresting officer was not aware of the detainer while on the scene of the traffic stop,” the city said in April.
The internal probe identified three San Marcos Police Department policy violations and laid them out by number and focus. They included Policy 5.1 for departmental records tied to an inaccurate statement on the probable cause affidavit, Policy 6.1 about response to resistance and aggression for a failure to articulate the basis for detention, and Policy 7.40 regarding investigations for not verifying the juvenile’s location and not conducting proper investigative questioning prior to arrests.
Chief Standridge also made a set of recommendations the department plans to implement to tighten procedures and transparency. Those recommendations include establishing mandatory supervisory and command protocols for significant incidents, adopting a clear policy for Immigration and Customs Enforcement administrative warrants and detainers, and amending policies to require officers to articulate the basis for detention and arrest. The plan also calls for use of a standard translation application, a public-facing dashboard tracking use of force and de-escalation metrics, and creation of a formal San Marcos Police Department Leadership Academy.
In a city statement officials acknowledged public concern and emphasized expectations for professional conduct. “The City of San Marcos acknowledges the concerns expressed by the family and members of the public related to this case and expects officers to act to the highest professional standards at all times,” the statement said. Those words accompany policy edits meant to improve report accuracy and accountability.
The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas responded on behalf of Cortina, calling the accusations “unfounded and unsubstantiated” and confirming that CLEAT attorneys are representing the officer. That response underscores the contested nature of the case as the department moves to revise practices and retrain staff. City leaders say the procedural changes are intended to prevent similar confusion in future traffic stops and investigations.
