Story Created:
Oct 16, 2008 at 6:40 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Oct 16, 2008 at 6:40 PM CDT
(October 16, 2008)
FALFURRIAS--A big mystery in the city of Falfurrias tonight. Ten bundles of marijuana confiscated after a bust have gone missing. and this isn't the first time evidence has been stolen from the police department.
In March, some $4,000 in cash disappeared from the chief's office. So far, no one has been arrested and now some residents and council members are outraged. They blame the chief
Some residents in Falfurrias have lost confidence in the police department. They're asking for the police chief to be fired over these two incidents.
The Falfurrias Police Department lost 90 pounds of marijuana from a city office on October 3rd. It was part of a load of about 1,500 pounds discovered after a bailout. Many residents in this small town don't understand how this happened.
'I think it's very frustrating, very upsetting," said Pablo Soliz, a Falfurrias businessman. "Just wonder what the heck is going on."
Leaders say the marijuana was packaged in 127 bundles and the drugs were placed in the City Hall Chamber's on a Friday night. By Monday, they said 10 bundles were gone. The chief said they couldn't store the drugs any place else because the sheriff's office didn' t have any room.
"At the time that we made a phone call, they advised us it was full," said Chief Eden Garcia of the Falfurrias Police Department. "So we did what was best that we had at the time."
But some town leader believe he should placed the marijuana in the old Brooks County Jail across the street from the police department.
"He's not a rookie," said August Patroelj, a Falfurrias Alderman. "He's a seasoned veteran officer. He should have known better than that."
Just six months earlier, leaders said somebody stole $4,000 of drug seizure money from the chief's office. They took the money after his door was left open. No one has been arrested in either case.
"I tend to believe it is someone within the police department, but our chief is investigating it now," Falfurrias Mayor Joe Garcia said.
Now some residents want the chief fired.
"They want some kind of action," Alderman Patroelj said. "Most of them I have talked to want this man out of office."
"Whether they want me here or not, that's something I leave up to the council," Chief Garcia said. "My job is to make sure this crime is solved and that's what I am going to do."
The chief hopes to have someone arrested by next week. Then the following week, town leaders will decide his future.
--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com
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