McAllen, Texas Criminal Defense, Divorce and DWI Lawyer Johnathan Ball

La Villa Mayor Charged with Prostitution, Official Oppression
Comments 4
August 16, 2010 8:19 PM
Lindsay Machak
The Monitor
EDCOUCH — Officials arrested La Villa Mayor Hector Elizondo on Monday morning as part of an ongoing investigation.

Elizondo was arraigned on two counts of official oppression and two counts of prostitution by Judge Placido Rodriguez. Though the charging documents allege Elizondo solicited a prostitute, the official charge is prostitution.

In a criminal complaint, a woman said Elizondo had supplied her with $10 worth of crack cocaine in exchange for sexual favors. Another said he paid her $30 dollars for oral sex several times over the past year, according to the complaint. The woman also said Elizondo would threaten to have her arrested if she didn’t do what he asked of her.

Eloy Cardenas, police chief in both La Villa and Edcouch, said Elizondo’s arrest was connected to a separate arrest made Monday morning. The other person’s arrest stems from a case involving narcotics and stolen property, Cardenas said.

More charges could be brought against Elizondo as the investigation continues, Cardenas said.

“As chief of police, this is hard,” Cardenas said of arresting a city official. “But it was the victims who came to our department, our office to ask for help.”

In the Elizondo case, one of the women who filed the criminal complaint said she had tried filing police reports in La Villa before, but nothing was done.

“This entire situation all started before I was chief in La Villa,” Cardenas said. “I’ve been working with my staff to investigate this matter since I started in La Villa eight months ago.”

The mayor’s arrest Monday came the same day that Cardenas was due in court for jury selection in his own trial on evidence tampering charges.

Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies arrested the police chief in 2008, alleging he shot at his wife’s ex-husband as the man drove past his house and then buried casings from the incident in his yard. His trial is set to begin this afternoon.

Even though he remains under indictment for a felony crime city leaders in Edcouch have allowed him to continue in his post. Those in La Villa contracted with him to take over the department.

La Villa residents re-elected Elizondo to a second term in May. Many were upset at the allegations being made against the city leader.

Gloria Marmolejo said she was shocked when she heard that the mayor had been arrested.

Marmolejo, 41, of Edcouch, had Elizondo as a teacher when she was in elementary school. She said he was her favorite teacher and she cannot believe the allegations that have been brought against him.

“He is a good person,” Marmolejo said. “I never would ever believe that he would be involved in something with prostitution.”

Elizondo’s attorney, Robert J. Salinas, was also shocked Monday. Salinas serves as the La Villa city attorney, but was clear to say he was not representing Elizondo as a city official.

“I’m doing this as his personal attorney,” he said.

During the arraignment Monday, Rodriguez allowed a personal recognizance bond for Elizondo. Rodriguez said he trusts that the mayor will not skip any court proceedings.

“I know him very well,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t like what he did, but I know he won’t try to leave the city.”