A San Antonio Police Department officer has been hit with a second indefinite suspension following his indictment on theft charges. Officer Joe Castaneda, previously fired for reportedly pocketing thousands from a detained man, found himself under greater scrutiny after a grand jury's summer indictment, the notice of which he received last month, according to a report by KSAT.
Details on the case emerged when another officer, Bryan Aguilar, received a 10-day suspension for his role in the same incident, although no criminal charges against him have been uncovered as of yet. The situation unfolded when the pair was called to a shooting incident at the Studio 6 Hotel on Highway 281. It was there that Officer Castaneda detained a man purported to have "a whole bunch of money and a knife", Castaneda's body cam footage later revealed him handling what was "in excess of $200." The detained man later reported missing belongings totaling around $4,400, including cash, a Zippo lighter, a money clip, and a knife.
Despite the initial intent to impose an indefinite suspension on Aguilar, documents show SAPD Chief William McManus later reduced the penalty, the reasons for, the reasons remain unclear. As reported by KSAT, Castaneda's indictment by a Bexar County grand jury came on July 18 for theft by a public servant in the $2,500 to $30,000 range with Castaneda posting bond on August 7 after his charge.
The case continues to be under criminal investigation, confirming an ongoing concern within the San Antonio Police Department about the handling of property belonging to individuals taken into custody.
