By Craig Kapitan
San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A former Bexar County detention officer was ordered to permanently surrender his peace officer’s license Thursday after pleading no contest to shooting in the direction of a repo man who was towing his truck.
Jesse Alva, 57, also was ordered by state District Judge Philip Kazen to attend anger-management classes and serve five years of deferred adjudication probation for the felony deadly conduct charge.
“I’m regretful and sorry for that incident,” said Alva, who had been a 21-year veteran of the sheriff’s office when the shooting occurred on Sept. 2, 2008.
Investigators went to the northwest Bexar County mobile home community after Alva called 911 to report a stolen vehicle and tow-truck driver Phillip Barbosa called to report the shooting.
Alva said he was getting ready for work about 4:30 a.m. when he saw his Nissan Titan being removed from his driveway by a tow truck that didn’t have any “recovery” markings on it.
The driver said he yelled out his window at Alva that it was a repossession.
“I was scared and freaked out,” Barbosa said in a police statement. “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know why someone would be shooting at me.”
Stray bullets ended up hitting a neighbor’s car and her home, where two children were sleeping. No one was injured.
Alva submitted letters from his former jail supervisors as he asked the judge for probation. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors remained silent on the request.
“This (probation sentence) is in the best interest of the community,” said defense attorney Marilyn Bradley, adding that Alva already has lost everything. “He lost his job, he lost his house, he lost his car.”
Copyright 2010 San Antonio Express-News