Ex-Bexar constable faced multiple charges, but that park shakedown wasn’t one of them

The downfall of disgraced ex-Bexar County Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela probably started when she demanded $300 in cash from a man who had rented a pavilion for an Easter family gathering at a West Side park in 2019.A grand jury instead indicted Vela on two counts of tampering with evidence, accusing her of altering cash records of her office’s handling of park fees while she knew she was under investigation.Wednesday for the third-degree felonies.

When Vela’s trial started, Jesus Reyes Jr. testified he had not known about a then-new county rule requiring him to contact county constables to pay for security officers after reserving a park pavilion if he knew more than 50 guests would be there. The fee is extra if they consume alcohol. Reyes had to go to a Valero convenience store nearby to use its ATM. The whole thing felt like extortion, he testified, so he flagged down some San Antonio police officers and made a formal report about it.Vela had a long history ofand by 2019 was in the spotlight for generating a perjury charge — which didn’t stick — against an employee who had decided to run for constable against her. The grand jury looked at that, too, and charged her with three counts of official oppression.

Vela did challenge Salazar and lost. With her conviction, she can no longer work as a peace officer or carry a gun.

'It's almost always the cover-up!'

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