Commendations awarded to Fort Bend County Sheriff’s personnel

Personnel receiving the commendations were: TCO Kortni Nealy, TCO Samantha Hernandez, Deputy Simon Garcia, Deputy Ruben Hancock, Deputy Zachary Pruitt, Sgt. Kara Roberts, Investigator Patrick Douglas, Detective Timothy Acosta, Deputy Miguel Salvo, Deputy Jarrian Thurston-Jackson, Investigator Larry Williams, Deputy John Cortez, Detective Charles Willeby, Deputy Johnny Alvarado, Deputy Francisco Contreras, Detective Christopher Arias, Deputy Adam Futch, Lt. Matt Carter, Lt. Yolanda Elliott, Lt. Wayne Hastedt, Communications Manager Meghan Rivas, Sgt. Diego Garza. Sgt. Bryan Baker, Sgt. Matthew Carl, (retired) Deputy Tim Anders and Deputy Jose Falcon.

The actions taken by deputies Garcia, Hancock and Pruitt were truly life-saving, their supervisor told the crowd attending the commendation ceremony.

Just after midnight on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, deputies Simon Garcia, Ruben Hancock and Zachary Pruitt were dispatched to the Jack in the Box at 8102 FM 1464 in reference to a man that was in the drive-thru line who continued to honk his horn and had hit the curb with his vehicle twice.

Witnesses told dispatchers that the man continued to pass out on the steering wheel and wake up and was believed to be intoxicated.

Deputies arrived and located man still in his vehicle in the drive-thru window.

Deputy Pruitt approached the vehicle, made contact with the man and asked him to exit the vehicle.

Instead, the man drove away at a high rate of speed, turning South on FM 1464.

Deputies pursued him as he turned West on to Beechnut.

Still driving at a high rate of speed, the man disregarded the stop sign at the Westmoor intersection, according to the report.

“When the vehicle entered the construction zone he began swerving and left the roadway, losing control and crashing into a tree on the South side of the roadway,” Capt. Michael Fisher told the audience.

After crashing into the tree, the vehicle rolled onto its roof and the engine compartment caught fire.

Deputies observed all of the vehicles windows were rolled up so they began striking the driver’s side window in an attempt to extract the man, Fisher recounted.

After several attempts, Deputy Hancock was able to break the driver’s side window and found the subject was trapped by the steering wheel.

“With the vehicle burning, deputies were finally able to free the man’s leg and pull him out and away from the vehicle,” Fisher said, reading from the citation.

The driver was later treated by EMS and airlifted to the hospital for further evaluations of his injuries.

Deputy Hancock sustained several minor lacerations to his right hand during the event.

“Deputies Simon Garcia, Ruben Hancock and Zachary Pruitt should be commended for their actions to free a person in a perilous situation,” Fisher told the audience.

“Their courageous efforts saved this person from imminent harm.”

Other personnel commended for their actions include:

TCO Kortni Nealy

On May 28, 2021, communications officer Kortni Nealy dispatched rookie Deputy R. Turcios to a vehicle reported stolen. Deputy Turcios located the vehicle occupied and in motion on a public roadway, resulting in a short pursuit. Nealy made a point of not only prompting Deputy Turcios to provide updates through an extremely high stress situation, but she also maintained a clear channel by keeping extraneous units from keying up and advising they were en route unnecessarily. Due to a statewide computer system  error,  

While this call was being investigated, TCO Nealy dispatched police and EMS resources to a person in full crisis and who was actively destroying a room of his parent’s residence. During the course of this call, the man barricaded himself in a bedroom, ripped his window frames completely out of the wall, and attempted to flee on foot. Nealy clearly communicated these details and the subject was safely and quickly detained.

“TCO Nealy is to be commended for her outstanding composure, and ability to effectively control the radio during hectic situations,” her supervisor said.

TCO Samantha Hernandez

On May 21, 2021 the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call from a 22-year-old man who was audibly upset and was making statements that he wanted to end his life.

The man told a sheriff’s office dispatcher that his brother had committed suicide two years prior and felt bad for his parents because he, too, did not want to continue living.

The man also told the dispatcher he was afraid to follow through on his own and told the dispatcher that he had been told that if he did something dangerous, that the police officers would end his life for him.

“Communications officer Samantha Hernandez remained calm and assured the caller that officers did not want hurt him and that our goal was to get him help,” her supervisor said.

“Hernandez was able to gain the trust of the caller and get him to pull his vehicle over. Hernandez continued talking to him until help arrived. TCO Hernandez’s ability to empathize with the caller while obtaining pertinent information to keep the responding units safe, lead to this citizen getting the help he needed.”

Investigator Larry Williams

On June 28, 2021, Investigator Larry Williams was performing assigned duties while on temporary assignment within the Detention Bureau. While performing rounds, Investigator Williams encountered an inmate, who was lying motionless within a cell in the separation area of the fourth floor.  Investigator Williams noted the inmate was awake and responsive moments prior to this observation and Williams immediately began attempting to make contact with the inmate.

After receiving no response from the inmate, Williams quickly summoned assistance to the cell in order to check the welfare of the inmate.

Following detention protocol, Investigator Williams entered the cell and discovered the inmate to be in the process of attempting suicide by means of strangulation.

Williams discovered the unresponsive inmate had fashioned sections of a bed sheet to make a cord, which he had secured around his neck and to a steel desk within the cell.  

Williams immediately cut the cord and loosened the ligature around the inmate’s neck, resulting in the inmate regaining consciousness.

 The inmate was then examined by detention medical staff and ultimately transported to OakBend Hospital, where full recovery was reported.      

“ The dedication to duty and quick actions exhibited by Investigator Larry Williams are directly responsible for saving the life of an inmate entrusted to his care,” the detention supervisor noted.

“The actions taken by Investigator Larry Williams are exemplary and serve as testimony of his dedication to service at the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.”

Deputy Adam Futch

Deputy Futch responded to a shooting at 7802 Lakehead Lane where an 18-year-old man had accidentally shot himself in the leg. Within four minutes of deputies being dispatched to the scene, Deputy Futch was the first to arrive.

Deputy Futch quickly assessed the scene, made it safe and began performing life-saving measures to the victim by applying a tourniquet to the victim’s leg.

Life Flight ultimately flew the victim, who was in critical condition, to a hospital.

Through the investigation, it was learned that the bullet had struck the victim’s artery and he had sustained a substantial amount of blood loss.

“Due to the determination, bravery and quick actions that Deputy Futch displayed, the shooting victim’s life was saved,”his supervisor reported.

“Deputy Futch is to be commended for his actions associated with the high standards and expectations of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and the State of Texas.”

Deputy Miguel Salvo

& Deputy Jarrian

Thurston-Jackson

On Aug. 4, 2021, Deputies Jarrian Thurston-Jackson and Miguel Salvo responded to a welfare check in the area of West Bellfort and SH 99 north bound in reference to a man (later identified as Taylor Tapia) possibly trying to jump off of the overpass.

Both deputies located Tapia at the intersection on the SH 99 main lanes.

The camera footage in the car related to this event was reviewed.

While reviewing the in-car videos, it was observed Tapia initially fled further north when deputies located him.

Tapia climbed on to the cement barrier on the east side of the SH 99 main lanes and threw both legs over, preparing to jump.

Deputies Salvo and Thurston-Jackson took appropriate steps to block all north bound traffic in the event Tapia chose to flee, and maintained verbal contact to keep his attention.

While Deputy Thurston-Jackson spoke to Tapia, Deputy Salvo was able to grab hold of him.

Deputy Thurston-Jackson immediately assisted Deputy Salvo in pulling Tapia back over the barrier and secured him in one of their patrol vehicles.

“Both Deputies Thurston-Jackson and Salvo should be commended on their quick and decisive actions which possibly prevented significant injury or even death to Taylor Tapia,” their supervisor noted.

Detective Charles Willeby

& Deputy Johnny Alvarado

On May 25, 2021, Detective Charles Willeby was assigned to investigate a robbery that occurred in the 15400 block of Schumann Lane in the Mission Bend area of Fort Bend County.

The robbery incident occurred as the homeowner returned home and was confronted by a burglar inside his home.  

During this time, the burglar threatened to kill the victim prior to fleeing the residence with stolen property.  

Detective Willeby conducted an interview with the victim and obtained a description of the robber.

With no known video in the area, Detective Willeby initiated a canvass search of the surrounding area.  

During this time Detective Willeby identified several residences with video systems in the neighborhood and initiated contacts with each homeowner.

During this pursuit for information, Detective Willeby located a video recording that depicted a man matching the description of the robber.  

In further effort to identify the robber, Detective Willeby conferred with Deputy Johnny Alvarado, who is known by Detectives to commonly work the Mission Bend area and to be familiar with thieves and other malefactors who frequent the area.  

Deputy Alvarado viewed the video acquired by Detective Willeby and provided a name of the potential suspect.  

Detective Willeby then prepared a photo-array for presentation to the victim in this case, which ultimately resulted in the positive identification of the man in this robbery case.

As result of the efforts of Detective Willeby and knowledge of district demonstrated by Deputy Alvarado, an arrest warrant for robbery was issued for the suspect in this case.  

“The dedication to service and diligence exhibited by Detective Charles Willeby in this investigation is exemplary and serves as testimony of his devotion as a Texas Peace Officer and his service to the citizens of Fort Bend County,” his supervisor said.

“The intelligence regarding area suspects as provided by Deputy Johnny Alvarado was also exemplary and is reflective of his dedication to duty and service to the citizens of Fort Bend County.”

Deputy John Cortez    

On July 28, 2021, Deputy John Cortez of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Detention Division was assigned to a housing unit in the Fort Bend County Jail.

At about 10:15 a.m., Deputy Cortez was making a routine count round in his assigned housing unit when he noticed that one of the inmates kept one of his eyes closed.  

Deputy Cortez asked the inmate about his eye and the inmate advised him he had not been feeling well and his face felt weird.  

The inmate advised he had put in a request to see medical personnel but it had been a few days and he had not seen anyone.  

Deputy Cortez contacted medical and determined the inmate was on the list to been evaluated.  

Deputy Cortez advised the nurse he was concerned for the inmate’s health and requested the inmate be seen as soon as possible.

The inmate was sent to medical and examined.  

After the examination, the inmate was transported to the hospital due to his condition and was admitted.  

It was later reported that had this inmates medical condition had gone untreated, he could have suffered significant medical issues.

“Deputy Cortez should be commended for his excellent attention to duty and outstanding performance,” his supervisor said.

Detective Christopher Arias

On June 28, 2021 Detective Christopher Arias was assigned to investigate an aggravated robbery that occurred in the 900 block of FM 2759 in Richmond.  

The robbery incident involved an unknown man, who threatened the victim with a handgun prior to stealing the victim’s vehicle and fleeing the area.  

Initial information available to Detective Arias was limited to a general physical description of the masked suspect and the stolen vehicle information.  

Detective Arias conducted interviews, only to learn the unknown man approached the area on foot.  

Armed only with the above information, Detective Arias initiated a canvass search of the surrounding residential developments.  

The canvass searches for the stolen vehicle were conducted for three days until Detective Arias, along with fellow Robbery-Homicide Detective Alexander Hickey, located the occupied stolen vehicle within the Tara subdivision.  

Detectives Arias noted the description of the driver of the stolen vehicle was consistent with the general description of the aggravated robbery suspect as provided by the victim in this case.  

Detectives Arias and Hickey summoned the assistance of Patrol deputies Tully Mangum and Dustin Dishman as the man attempted to flee the area.  

The man ultimately crashed his vehicle and then attempted to flee on foot prior to being taken into custody.

A subsequent search resulted in the recovery of a handgun along with additional personal property stolen from the victim in this case.  

“The dedication to service and diligence exhibited by Detective Christopher Arias in this investigation is exemplary,” his supervisor said.

“The actions of Detective Arias serve as testimony of his devotion as a Texas Peace Officer and his service to the citizens of Fort Bend County.”    

Lt. Matt Carter

Lt. Yolanda Elliott

Lt. Wayne Hastedt

Comm. Mgr Meghan Rivas

Sgt. Diego Garza

Sgt. Bryan Baker

Sgt. Matthew Carl

Dep. Tim Anders

Dep. Jose Falcon

This award commends members of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office for meritorious service and their commitment to excellence as they volunteered to assist the new Sheriff’s Command in reviewing and rewriting the General Orders to more effectively represent best practices, the rule of law, legitimacy, accountability, and social and procedural justice.

Collectively, the efforts of the Policy Review Committee accomplished much to gain higher levels of public trust and confidence in the Sheriff’s Office to carry forward its mission, values, and democratic principles.

Incidentally, the committee also developed the core values, guiding principles, and mission statement.

Because of the efforts of the Policy Review Committee, all personnel of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office are in a better position to meet public demands for policing legitimacy and accountability.

Detective Charles Willeby

Detective Charles Willeby received a second commendation.

On June 20th of 2021, Detective Charles Willeby was summoned to the scene of a homicide that occurred on Westheimer Parkway in the Cinco Ranch development of Katy, Texas.  Upon arrival, Detective Willeby assumed the role of lead Investigator in what he later learned to be a capital murder.  At the time of initial investigation, the only information known was that an unidentified male had apparently been shot and thrown onto the roadway from a moving vehicle.  Detective Willeby initiated his investigation, armed only with the above information and a blood stained roadway.  

Detective Willeby coordinated efforts of fellow Robbery-Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators, who were able to establish the identification of the victim thru fingerprint records.  After learning no missing person reports were filed for the decedent, who was learned to be a Honduran national, Detective Willeby summoned the aid of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office and ultimately located and interviewed relatives of the victim, who continue to reside in Honduras.  The ensuing investigation led Detective Willeby to local area family, friends and a host of prior employers of the victim.  After multiple contacts and interviews, Detective Willeby tracked down where the victim last lived in addition to the discovery of a missing vehicle, recently purchased by the victim.

Following the evidence, a search for the missing vehicle was initiated, which resulted in it being recovered from a Houston area wrecker yard after being towed from a reserved parking space in their jurisdiction.  Detective Willeby then orchestrated a series of surveillance sessions in the area of the aforementioned illegal parking space.  After conducting multiple interviews with those living in the area and conducting surveillance, Detective Willeby was ultimately able to identify two suspects who had been seen using the victim’s vehicle.  Detective Willeby and fellow Detectives continued surveillance of the suspects in this case, which ultimately led to both confessing to participating in a planned robbery, which led to the killing of the victim in this case.       

The dedication to service and diligence exhibited by Detective Charles Willeby in this investigation is exemplary and serves as testimony of his devotion as a Texas Peace Officer and his service to the citizens of Fort Bend County.  While nothing of great consequence has ever been accomplished alone, Detective Willeby’s dogged pursuit of the suspects and evidence in this case is certain to result in justice for the victim.