Harris Co. deputy's future uncertain after assault indictment
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Harris County Sheriff's sergeant has been placed on paid administrative leave after being indicted by a criminal grand jury.
We've shown you Sgt. Marco Carrizales, 37, once before on Eyewitness News, but in a more positive light.
Back in 2012, he helped deliver a Christmas surprise to a mother of seven. We interviewed him then.
"Almost brought tears to my eye," Carrizales said during the holiday delivery. "Words can't even express what I'm feeling right now."
He didn't have the words today either as we tried to get his side of the story about the indictment.
Grand jury indicts three HCSO employees in assault cases
Carrizales is accused of aggravated assault by a public servant. The allegation stems from an October 2015 incident in which Carrizales was working an off-duty security job at a refinery and apparently tried to stop a man who, according to prosecutors, appeared to run a four-way stop sign.
There was a chase and then an incident in which Carrizales allegedly hit the driver, Ismael Garza, with some "unknown object," causing "bodily injury."
"It was pretty serious. He did have to go to the emergency room," says attorney Natalie Schultz, who represented Garza.
Schultz said another problem: Carrizales was using his own personal, unmarked vehicle when he chased Garza and made his arrest.
Garza had been charged with evading and resisting arrest but those charges were dropped.
The deputy was suspended for 10 days after an internal affairs investigation.
Carrizales did not respond to our repeated attempts for comment.
