Two Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office deputies were fired Friday after the agency said they are accused in separate family-assault cases that allegedly caused bodily injury. The deputies, identified by the sheriff's office as Jillian Heard and Oscar Castillo, are now the subjects of both criminal and internal investigations. The office said it first learned of the alleged misconduct on Jan. 3.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office said Heard and Castillo are accused of "assault-family violence, causing bodily injury" and that investigators will present their findings to the Guadalupe County Attorney's Office for review. Those details were first reported by KSAT.
The Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division has opened a criminal probe, alongside a separate internal investigation. According to the agency, detectives uncovered multiple violations of Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office policy that allegedly occurred while the deputies were both on and off duty. Agency background and contact information are available through the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office.
What Prosecutors Will Do
The Guadalupe County Attorney's Office is expected to review the investigative file and determine whether to pursue criminal charges. According to the county's website, the attorney's office prosecutes misdemeanor and felony cases and represents victims in protective-order matters. More information on that role is available from the Guadalupe County Attorney's Office.
Local Pattern Of Officer Discipline
The firings land amid heightened scrutiny of law-enforcement conduct across the San Antonio area. In December, a former Schertz police officer was arrested after being fired, in a case reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
The Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office said its investigations into Heard and Castillo are still underway. Prosecutors are expected to review the case file once all evidence has been gathered and turned over.
