The San Antonio Police Department has suspended Officer Mark Castillo for 30 days, starting October 1, after he was found sending explicit messages to a woman while on duty. According to a KSAT report, Castillo, who was part of Chief William McManus' executive protection detail, faced significant personal and professional consequences for his actions.
The story unraveled when the woman's husband, Arturo Cisneros, stumbled upon a graphic text message thread and dialed 911 in a state of shock. Cisneros explained his call to emergency services in a KSAT interview: "I was in shock. I just wanted police to show up. It doesn’t matter which number." Despite no physical confrontation taking place as confirmed by both parties involved, an SAPD incident reported a contrasting narrative, claiming Cisneros assaulted his wife. This led to Cisneros' arrest for misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury—married, although both he and his wife have denied these allegations.
Details emerged from an San Antonio Express-News report that revealed the texts were sent during Castillo's working hours, undermining the integrity of his position and culminating in his suspension. After the extramarital affair came to light, Castillo was reassigned to the department’s vehicle crimes unit, distancing him from his previous role driving and guarding Chief McManus. The department's records condemned the officer's actions, highlighting that they "did not conform to the ordinary and reasonable rules of good conduct" and "brought reproach and discredit on himself and the San Antonio Police Department."
Meanwhile, Cisneros faces a pretrial conference scheduled on the last day of Castillo’s suspension. This incident adds to a history of disciplinary issues within McManus's protective circle. Previously, in May 2021, another officer, Robert Gonzales Jr., was involved in a sexual incident but avoided formal discipline despite recommendations to the contrary. "The text messages were vulgar and sexual in nature and sent during officer Castillo's duty hours while he performed his duties as the driver for the chief of police," state the records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.
