Harris Co. Precinct 2 staffer now facing felony after 3rd DWI arrest

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- An employee of Harris County Pct. 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia was arrested for a third DWI, which makes it a felony.

Selina Refugio Valdez, 59, was arrested just after midnight on Sunday and charged with DWI. Her previous two DWIs came in 2001 and 2002.

Valdez made her first court appearance Monday afternoon. The prosecutor asked the hearing officer for a high bond.

"With this being a DWI third, we believe (Valdez) to be a danger to public safety," the prosecutor said.

Valdez is one of about a dozen community liaisons publicly representing Pct. 2 in the community. On her social media, she advertises events, engages the public, and sometimes drives county cars, though she was not in one at the time of her arrest.

"I am aware of the employee's arrest over the weekend while not on county time. We take all matters of this nature seriously, and we will be dealing with it internally," Garcia said in a statement to ABC13.

Valdez's prior DWIs happened two decades ago, but Texas law does not forget, criminal defense attorney Christian Capitaine explained.

"So they could reach back as far as 30 to 40 years, and if you have a third one, it's a felony," Capitaine, who is not involved in the case, said. "By the time you get a third DWI, the law presumes you have a problem, and the consequences are more severe."

If convicted, Valdez could face two to 10 years behind bars and have her driver's license suspended.

Bond was set at $10,000, and she has to abide by conditions, including wearing an ankle monitor and blowing into an interlock device before driving a vehicle.

Monday night, Valdez did not have an attorney of record, and no one answered at her home.

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