Accused Texas Police Chief Is Fired

[Ghost in the Machine]

Accused Texas Police Chief Is Fired
Published: 9/22/07, 6:05 AM EDT

ALTON, Texas (AP) - The police chief in this southern Texas town has been fired weeks after he was accused of sexually assaulting two male employees.

Jose Luis Vela was suspended after his Aug 29. arrest on two charges of sexual assault. Three more current and former police department employees have since accused Vela of sexual harassment.

City Manager Jorge Arcaute fired Vela Friday for poor record keeping and possible theft of confiscated items. He said allegations surfaced accusing Vela of stealing alcohol confiscated by his department.

Vela said he never took confiscated beer, nor was he involved in logging items. He is out on bail and plans to plead not guilty to the charges.

Investigators have accused Vela of performing oral sex on a male employee after the man passed out drunk at a party about a year ago at Vela's home in Mission, according to court documents. Vela is also accused of violating a different male employee with an object while that man was passed out at a party in July, Sheriff Lupe Trevino said.

Alton is a town of about 4,400 residents, located 10 miles north of the Mexican border in the Rio Grande Valley.

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=7434&eeid=5424622&_sitecat=1522&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=-2&ck=&ch=ne

[RC]

1. A bu$h supporter, no doubt.

What is it with these people, anyway?

[TexasProgresive]

4. Not too many Repukes in the Valley - so I doubt that Vela is a

Repuke. Just because there are so many cases of Repuke malfeasance doesn't mean that Democrats aren't capable of doing similar things especially in places that are almost entirely democratic like South Texas.

[RC]

5. He's a cop, which tend to lean to the conservitive side.

[TexasProgresive]

6. May be conservative but I'll bet he votes dem. n/t

[Botany]

2. Remind me not to party @ Jose Luis Vela's casa

What a creep. I wonder if he and Larry Craig might "hit it off."

[valerief]

3. What? A rethug official not molesting children? Well, that's a breath of fresh air. nt