An off-duty Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested Sunday on a charge of assault bodily injury/family violence after allegedly attacking a family member, and she has since resigned in lieu of termination after a year on the force. The deputy, Johanna Villanueva, was taken into custody following an investigation by BCSO investigators into the alleged assault.
According to a news release from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, a family member reported being assaulted by Villanueva, prompting the criminal investigation that led to her arrest on Monday. Villanueva was off duty at the time of the alleged assault, per the release, and BCSO says she resigned in lieu of termination following her arrest.
The case marks the second time in as many months that a Bexar County deputy has been booked on the same misdemeanor charge. In July, 12-year BCSO SWAT deputy Jose Lars Alba was arrested on a Class A misdemeanor family violence charge after allegedly assaulting his fiancée at their home, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Alba posted a $3,500 bond following his booking, the paper reported.
What a Conviction Would Mean for Villanueva's Career
Under Texas Penal Code § 22.01, a first-offense conviction for assault causing bodily injury against a family member is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail and a fine of up to $4,000, according to legal analysis from Varghese Summersett. The offense can escalate to a felony if choking or prior convictions are involved, the firm notes.
Beyond the criminal penalty, the stakes for a peace officer's career are especially steep. Texas Commission on Law Enforcement rules state that any prior conviction or court-ordered community supervision for an offense involving family violence creates a lifetime disqualification from holding a Texas peace officer license, per guidance published by Alvin Community College. Those TCOLE rules apply not just to deputies but to jailers and telecommunicators as well. Separately, an arrest or formal pending charge for a Class A misdemeanor triggers an automatic mandatory license suspension of at least 120 days for a licensed officer, according to a summary from Bertolino LLP.
Because Villanueva resigned while under investigation rather than being formally fired, her separation carries its own long-term consequence. Under Texas Occupations Code regulations governing law enforcement separation reports, an officer who resigns in lieu of termination receives a “dishonorable discharge” designation on their official state F5 form, a marker intended to prevent so-called “wandering officers” from quietly joining another agency, according to the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County.
A Pattern of Off-Duty Arrests Under Sheriff Salazar
Villanueva's arrest adds to a string of recent off-duty incidents involving Bexar County Sheriff's Office personnel. Hoodline previously reported on a BCSO sergeant's 2 a.m. DWI arrest on Broadway in March, and on a separate deputy's family violence arrest last September. Historical department oversight records show that in 2018, 24 BCSO employees were arrested — a 1.7% arrest rate across the 1,374-deputy agency — which prompted Sheriff Javier Salazar to implement internal wellness and public integrity initiatives, according to MySA. Salazar has repeatedly emphasized that deputies accused of crimes will face swift administrative action.
The arrests also land against a backdrop of substantial domestic violence caseloads across the county. The Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence reported in December that magistrates issued 2,267 emergency protection orders and that 1,568 civil protective order applications were filed across Bexar County in 2024, according to Texas Public Radio. To handle that volume, the Bexar County District Attorney's Office operates a dedicated Family Violence Division staffed by 57 assistant district attorneys, 14 victim advocates and 15 criminal investigators, per the office's own description of the unit.
Statewide, lawmakers have struggled to expand tools for tracking repeat offenders. Local leaders noted in June that more than 20 proposed domestic violence bills failed during the 2025 Texas legislative session, leaving law enforcement without new statutory tools for monitoring repeat offenders, according to KENS 5. Texas recorded more than 400 fatal family violence incidents in 2024, the station reported.
No further details on the specific allegations against Villanueva, including her relationship to the alleged victim, have been released by BCSO. The sheriff's office has not indicated whether additional charges are being considered as its criminal investigation continues.
