A former Hidalgo County detention officer was arrested on Saturday, Feb. 28 and charged with stalking after authorities say a tense Valentine’s Day confrontation with his ex-girlfriend at a north Edinburg Walmart turned into a full-blown safety scare. Police allege the man trailed his ex during her shift, flashed a handgun and warned that any co-workers who tried to help would get hurt.
According to a news release from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, Sanchez had previously been allowed to resign in lieu of termination. The agency emphasized it is trying to keep its own house in order. "As an organization, we are committed to upholding public confidence and preserving the community’s trust," Sheriff J.E. "Eddie" Guerra said, as reported by KRGV.
An arrest affidavit, cited by MySA, states the woman had been sitting in her car near the store’s garden center around 8:40 a.m. when Sanchez pulled up in a gray Mustang, walked to her window and repeatedly called her phone. The document alleges he told her he would "wait outside the store for hours," followed her when she tried to slip back in through an employee entrance and, when she asked for help, lifted his shirt to reveal a black handgun.
What the charge carries
Under Texas law, stalking is prosecuted under Penal Code Section 42.072 and is generally a third-degree felony, with steeper penalties for people who already have stalking convictions. The statute, outlined in the Texas Penal Code, defines stalking as a repeated course of conduct that puts a person in fear or leaves them feeling harassed or tormented.
Hidalgo County jail records show Sanchez was released on a $30,000 bond the same day he was booked, according to MySA. Edinburg police say they found probable cause to make the arrest and that the investigation is still active.
In the arrest affidavit, the woman told investigators she felt "tormented" by the barrage of calls and by Sanchez’s claims that he had people watching her. Detectives say those details show what they view as a pattern of harassment, not a one-off argument. Local leaders say the case, which is now in the hands of prosecutors, highlights how allegations involving law-enforcement employees can trigger both criminal probes and internal personnel reviews.
