A Harris County Sheriff's Office sergeant is off the job after Fort Bend County deputies arrested him Thursday morning on multiple criminal charges, authorities said. Public records identify the officer as Sgt. Freder Munoz. He has been relieved of duty while the case plays out, and officials are keeping a tight lid on what led up to the arrest.
Arrest and charges
According to FOX 26 Houston, Fort Bend County deputies arrested Munoz on Thursday and charged him with assault family violence, a Class A misdemeanor, along with terroristic threat and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Officials said he was taken into custody after an incident Thursday morning, although they have not publicly detailed what happened.
Harris County response
The Harris County Sheriff's Office told local media that Munoz has been relieved of duty while an internal review runs alongside the outside criminal investigation, ABC13 reported. HCSO has not released additional information about the circumstances behind the arrest. Spokespersons for both agencies have said the probe is active and that more details will be shared when they can.
Investigation status
Fort Bend authorities told reporters that the investigation is ongoing and declined to provide more specifics about what sparked the charges, according to FOX 26 Houston. Prosecutors have not yet said whether they might seek any sentence enhancements or add more counts. Any formal filings or court hearings will move forward through the appropriate district attorney's office as investigators and prosecutors review the case.
Legal implications
Munoz faces an assault-family-violence charge identified in news reports as a Class A misdemeanor, along with a terroristic-threat count and an unlawful-carrying-of-a-weapon offense. Under Texas law, a terroristic-threat allegation can be treated as a misdemeanor or upgraded to a felony, depending on details such as the nature and target of the threat. Penalties for family-violence and weapons charges also vary by statute. The legal definitions and potential punishments are outlined in the Texas Penal Code.
What’s next
The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office says it will release updates as investigators complete their work and as prosecutors decide how to proceed. Sgt. Munoz is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
