THANKS, LARRY. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK. A MILITARY VETERAN CHARGED WITH
MULTIPLE FELONIES. HE’S ACCUSED
OF VIOLENTLY KIDNAPPING HIS
GIRLFRIEND AND BURGLARIZING HER
HOME. BUT KSAT INVESTIGATES
FOUND MASSIVE FLAWS IN THE
INVESTIGATION AT A DARKER STORY
BENEATH THE SURFACE.
>> OF A CRIMINAL CASE THAT IS
NOW FALLING APART.
>> THE MOST DANGEROUS ABUSERS
OF THOSE WHO CAN USE THE
SYSTEM. TO CONTINUE CONTROLLING
THEIR VICTIMS BECAUSE OF HER
LEGAL SOPHISTICATION. SHE HAS
BEEN ABLE TO MANIPULATE A LOT
OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE SYSTEM,
INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO
ARE NOT LEGALLY SOPHISTICATE.
>> TONIGHT, DILLON COLLIER
EXAMINES THE MISSTEPS FROM LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND THE FALLOUT FOR
THE MAN ACCUSED.
>> ALL RIGHT. A QUICK GLANCE AT
TONY VALDEZ’S ARREST RECORDS
LEAD YOU TO ASSUME THAT HE
WOULD SOON BE SPENDING TIME
IN PRISON. THE FORMER ARMY
MEDIC WAS ACCUSED OF RUNNING
AFTER HIS GIRLFRIEND OUTSIDE
THIS MORE WITH WESTSIDE
NEIGHBORHOOD NOVEMBER 18TH
PULLING HER BACK TO HIS TRUCK
AGAINST HER WILL AND HITTING
HER BEFORE THE DISPUTE
CONTINUED AT HER HOME. MELANIE
HAD NERVES. GARAGE DOOR WAS
VISIBLY DAMAGED, FELT THAT AS
A WEIGHTLIFTER HAD ACCORDING
TO THE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE, RIPPED OFF
ITS RAILS WHILE TRYING TO BREAK
INTO HER HOUSE STATE LAW
PREVENTS US FROM SHOWING BODY
CAMERA FOOTAGE RECORDED INSIDE
RESIDENCES. BUT HERE IS AUDIO
OF WHAT HAGGARD TOLD THE BEXAR
COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY WHO
RESPONDED TO THE SCENE. WE’LL
GET BACK TO THAT TARGET, RIGHT?
YES,
>> A LAW SCHOOL STUDENT AT
SAINT MARY’S HACKERS,
RECITATION OF PARTS OF THE
TEXAS PENAL CODE WOULD HAVE A
MAJOR IMPACT ON WHAT PLAYED
OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS
AS VALDEZ WHO HAD NO PREVIOUS
CRIMINAL RECORD WOULD SOON BE
CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING IN
BURGLARY OF A HABITATION BY
FORCE. BOTH FELONIES AS WELL
AS MISDEMEANOR FAMILY VIOLENCE
CAUSING BODILY INJURY.
>> JUST START.
♪
I JUST WANT TO GO CLOSER AND
WAIT. I DON’T WANT A
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER AND TRIED
TO RUN AWAY FROM HER.
>> VALDEZ WOULD PICK UP ANOTHER
MISDEMEANOR CHARGE LESS THAN 2
MONTHS LATER AFTER HAD NEVER
SHOWED UP AT HIS APARTMENT
WHILE HE WAS ON HOUSE ARREST,
VALDEZ CALLED SAN ANTONIO
POLICE, EVEN THOUGH SAPD
OFFICERS CONFIRMED IT WAS HIS
RESIDENCE. THEY DETERMINE
VALDEZ HAD VIOLATED A
PROTECTIVE ORDER PUT IN PLACE
AFTER HIS INITIAL ARREST BY
ALLOWING HAD NEAR TO SPEND TIME
THERE. I FEEL BETRAYED.
I FEEL BETRAYED BY THE SYSTEM.
A CLOSER EXAMINATION OF THE
EVIDENCE RAISES SERIOUS
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HANDLING OF
THE CASE BY THE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE. REMEMBER THAT CLAIM
REPEATED TIME AND AGAIN, THAT
BELT AS IT DRAGGED PAGAR INTO
HIS TRUCK ALONG SHANE FIELD
ROAD TURNS OUT MULTIPLE
EYEWITNESSES DISPUTED IT ON
THE DEPUTY’S OWN BODY CAMERA.
AND WHEN HE WAS DRIVING BACK
♪
>> AND THERE’S THIS FOLLOW-UP
REPORT FROM A BCSO
INVESTIGATOR.
>> INCLUDED A WITNESS STATEMENT
THAT HAD NEVER COULD HAVE LEFT
THE ROADSIDE DISPUTE, BUT DID
NOT AND THAT SHE ACTUALLY DROVE
THE TRUCK FROM THE SCENE
BECAUSE VALDEZ HAD HURT HIS
KNEE WHILE TRYING TO GET HIS
PHONE BACK FROM HER. ANY POINT
DID YOU DRAG HER INTO YOUR
VIEW? ABSOLUTELY NOT. SHE DID
YOU BURGLARIZED HER HOME?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. I DID NOT EVEN
STEP DID YOU HIT OR ANY POINT?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. COURT RECORDS
FROM A 2019 DIVORCE INVOLVING
HAD NEVER SHOW THE GARAGE DOOR
WAS PREVIOUSLY DAMAGE. EVEN
THE DEPUTY SUPERVISOR SEEM TO
EXPRESS SKEPTICISM ABOUT WHERE
HE WAS GOING WITH POSSIBLE
CHARGES THE EVENING ABOUT AS
HIS ARREST.
>> HE SPOKE TO THE NIGHT MAG
ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
SHE TOLD HIM NOT TO BRING THE
FELONY CHARGES. HE WROTE THEM
UP HIS FELONY CHARGES.
>> AND WHEN HE BROUGHT THEM TO
THAT SAME PERSON LATER, SHE
RUBBER STAMPED IT AND PUT IT
IN FRONT OF A JUDGE WHO
REVERSED AND TO THE CHARGES
AGAINST VALDEZ REMAINED PENDING
FOR NEARLY 5 MONTHS.
>> THE SAME DAY KSAT
INVESTIGATES SAT DOWN WITH HIM
IN DEFENSE ATTORNEY JOE
HOELSCHER, BEXAR COUNTY
PROSECUTORS FINALLY MOVED TO
REJECT ALL 4 CASES. A DISTRICT
ATTORNEY SPOKESPERSON TELLING
US IN A STATEMENT THE REJECTION
DECISION CAME AFTER THE
ATTORNEY ASSIGNED TO IT REVIEW
TESTIMONY FROM A PROTECTIVE
ORDER HAGGARD DECLINED MULTIPLE
INTERVIEW REQUESTS FROM KSAT.
AND ALTHOUGH SHE SENT US A
MULTITUDE OF TEXT MESSAGES,
SHE DID NOT PROVIDE A RESPONSE
ON THE RECORD WITH HIS CRIMINAL
CHARGES BEHIND IN VALDEZ IS NOW
ATTEMPTING TO PUT OUT A SERIES
OF FIRES ON THE CIVIL SIDE
REPRESENTING YOURSELF. HAGGER
HAS SUED VALDEZ FOR PROPERTY
DAMAGE IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT.
HE’S FILED FOR SANCTIONS
AGAINST HOELSCHER IN LATE MARCH
FILED FOR DIVORCE FROM VALDEZ,
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NEVER
MARRIED IN ONLY DATED FOR A FEW
MONTHS IN LATE NOVEMBER OR A
WEEK AFTER VALDEZ WAS TAKEN
INTO CUSTODY. HIS LEGAL COUNSEL
SAYS HAGGER ADDED HERSELF TO
ABOUT AS AUTO INSURANCE POLICY.
HE CHANGED HIS MARITAL STATUS
TO MARRY. SO THERE IS NO
ASPECT.
TONY’S LIFE THAT IS UNTOUCHED
BY MELANIE HAND BECAUSE SHE’S
ACTING LIKE A LAWYER AND HAS
ACCESS TO HIS PERSONAL THING.
MISS THIS ONE IS GOING TO
STRONG. SHE’S GOING TO WANT TO
DESTROY ME BECAUSE I DON’T WANT
TO BE WITH HER. IT’S ABOUT
CONTROL FOR KSAT INVESTIGATES.
I’M DYLAN CAUGHT.
>> THE SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
OFFICIALS CONFIRM HAGGER IS
ENROLLED AT THEIR LAW SCHOOL.
THEY DID NOT RELEASE OR
ANTICIPATED GRADUATION DAY.
A SAN ANTONIO ATTORNEY WHO
EMPLOYED HAGGER HAS A SUMMER.
CLARK SAID SHE FIRED HER AFTER
A CHARGE ON A CLIENT’S CREDIT
CARD WAS TRACED BACK TO HAGG.
>> NOW HUNTER HAS NOT BEEN
CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME IN
CONNECTION TO HER PRIOR
EMPLOYMENT OR INTERACTIONS WITH
VALDEZ. KSAT COULD NOT COULD
COULD NOT FIND ANY RECORDS
SHOWING BCSO DEPUTIES HAVE BEEN
IMPLICATED IN ANY ACTS OF
PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT IN
CONNECTION TO THE INVESTIGATION
OF VALDEZ.
>> IN A STATEMENT, THE BEXAR
COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
DEFENDED ITS HANDLING OF THIS
CASE, TELLING KSAT IT TAKES
EVERY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
CLAIM SERIOUSLY AND WILL FILE
AND PURSUE APPROPRIATE CHARGES
IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE FOR
VICTIMS. QUOTE, IN THIS
PARTICULAR CASE, VICTIM
STATEMENTS AS WELL AS THAT OF A
CORROBORATING WITNESS LED TO