Press Releases

The San Angelo Police Department will be honoring Sgt. Todd Dornhecker with a retirement ceremony on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at the McNease Convention Center's North Meeting Room.

Sgt. Dornhecker was hired by the San Angelo Police Department on April 16, 1996. Prior to working for the SAPD, Sgt. Dornhecker worked as a Corrections Officer for the Llano County Sheriff's Office.

Sgt. Dornhecker started his career with the SAPD in the Patrol Division. In April 1999, Sgt. Dornhecker transferred to the K-9 Unit where he worked alongside his partner, K9 Hondo, until Hondo's retirement in December 2004. Sergeant Dornhecker then transferred to the Narcotics Section where he worked until his promotion to the rank of Sergeant in December 2005. Sgt. Dornhecker transferred back to the Patrol Division where he served as a Patrol Supervisor until February 2010 when he was appointed Supervisor of the Department's Special Operations Section. In October 2015, Sgt. Dornhecker transferred to the Traffic Section where he served the remainder of his career as the Traffic Section's Supervisor.

Sgt. Dornhecker has a total of 20 years and 1.5 months as a Peace Officer, 2,581 training hours, and holds a Master Peace Officer's License. Sgt. Dornhecker is a certified TCOLE Instructor, Firearms Instructor, holds various Gang and Narcotics Certifications, and was a member of the Crisis Negotiations Team since 2012. He was voted Officer of the Year in 2011 and Investigations Supervisor of the Year in 2011, 2012, and 2014.

Following the retirement ceremony, the San Angelo Police Department will be conducting a promotional ceremony for Officer Cory Moore. Officer Moore will be promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Officer Moore has been with the Department since April 2006.

***SAPD***

A 46-year old San Angelo man was arrested for Discharging a Firearm inside City Limits early this morning after he allegedly fired a handgun outside the Cross Keys Apartments, 1222 S. Abe Street.

Officers were dispatched to the apartment complex just after midnight for the report of shots fired, allegedly from a man who was waiving a gun and arguing with a female. Officers also learned a child was possibly involved and that the male suspect had left the scene driving a white Hyundai Elantra.

Officers located the suspect and vehicle at Concho and Koeningheim. He was identified as Sandro Veliz.

Back at the initial scene, Police learned Veliz fired the weapon during a verbal argument with his girlfriend and a spent shell casing was recovered approximately 9 feet outside the victim's apartment. The apartment was occupied by Veliz's 30-year-old girlfriend and their infant child. No one was reported injured.

Veliz was arrested and transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident.

20-year-old Colton D. Beard, the man arrested for Reckless Driving after yesterday's multi car collision on Loop 306, was taken into custody yesterday afternoon on additional charges.

Just after 3:00 p.m. yesterday, San Angelo Police were dispatched to a residence in the 2400 block of Dallas Street for the report of a domestic disturbance involving Beard.

Officers responded and Beard was located driving nearby. Officers stopped and detained Beard. During the detention, police obtained evidence that Beard began harassing his girlfriend shortly after his release from jail yesterday.

Detective M. Hawthorne responded to the scene to conduct a follow up investigation. At the conclusion of his investigation, Beard was charged with Harassment, No Proof of Financial Responsibility, and Endangering a Child Criminal Negligence.

[Previous release #052416(14)]

Around 9:00 this morning, San Angelo Police were dispatched to the 3800 block of W Loop 306 for a three-vehicle car crash with injuries.

During the traffic investigation, Officers learned the collision stemmed from a domestic dispute between a boyfriend and girlfriend that were traveling in two separate vehicles but speaking to one another by cell phone.

At some point during the verbal altercation, the male half, identified as 20-year-old Colton D. Beard driving a gray 2000 Chevrolet Pickup, made several unsafe lane changes before he pulled in front of his girlfriend's vehicle and slammed on his brakes. Beard's abrupt braking action caused his 21-year-old girlfriend, who was driving a 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander, to apply her brakes in an attempt to avoid colliding with Beard's truck. The woman was traveling with her and Beard's 1-year-old son.

Although the truck and Outlander never collided, a white 2012 GMC Yukon Denali occupied by a 37-year-old female driver and 23-month-old child passenger rear-ended the Outlander and a white 2011 Buick Enclave that was occupied by a 38-year-old female driver and her 2-year-old son rear-ended the Denali.

All occupants sustained non-incapacitating injuries as a result of the chain-reaction collision and they were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Beard, who fled the initial scene, was located later and arrested for Reckless Driving and two outstanding City warrants. Beard was transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident and released a short time later after posting a $500 Surety Bond.

A 57-year-old San Angelo man was charged with Driving While Intoxicated after he collided with two San Angelo Police vehicles this morning, injuring one Officer.

The two San Angelo PD Patrol Vehicles were legally parked in the 1000 block of E. 14th Street when their vehicles were struck by gray 2009 Toyota Corolla around 11:16 a.m. The Officers were at the location on an unrelated call.

The driver of the Corolla was identified as Rick Alan Waddell of San Angelo. Waddell was headed eastbound on 14th when he struck the first unit, a Chevrolet Tahoe. The force of the collision caused the Tahoe to crash into the second PD unit, a Dodge Charger.

The Charger was occupied by a 25-year-old male Officer who has been with the Department for two and a half years. The Officer sustained non-incapacitating injuries and was transported to Community Medical Center by ambulance and later released.

When Waddell exited his vehicle, he showed signs of intoxication. Waddell was unable to perform standardized field sobriety tests due to his inability to maintain his balance. Detectives obtained a Search Warrant for a blood specimen. At the conclusion of the blood draw, Waddell was transported to the Tom Green County Jail.