“They destroyed him” | Woman calls on the city of Galveston to pay for damage to home during SWAT raid

GALVESTON, Texas. A Galveston family is demanding answers after their home was damaged in a SWAT raid last month.

On Wednesday, the family and their lawyers asked the city of Galveston to pay damages and publicly apologize for the raid. They want it all done by Friday.

Galveston police said they were looking for a suspect in the teen’s murder when they showed up at Erica Rios’ house on Avenue O in the early hours of Jan. 22. Rios said she and her two teenage children were asleep at home when they were woken up. around 2 am by police shouting outside.

Rios said the police yelled at them several times to get out and then fired wooden bullets at the windows of the house. Police smashed windows and doors and dragged her out of her own home, looking for 17-year-old Cameron Vargas, who didn’t even live in the home. In fact, Vargas lives in several houses from the Rios family.

“What they did to me and my family was wrong. What they did to our family traumatized my family and my son,” Rios said. “My house is not a mansion, but it is mine, and now it has been destroyed. I ask Galveston, Texas, to do the right thing.”

No one was arrested during the raid, but the Rios family had to pick up the pieces.

Rios’ children are friends with Vargas. The police thought he was their prime suspect in the murder case, but as it turns out, the police were wrong again. The murder charge against Vargas was dropped.

“We were happy that we were able to prove his innocence, but my son also needs to make a public apology,” Vargas’ mother Terri Borrell said.

According to lawyers, the mistakes do not end there. The arrest warrant for Vargas was signed on January 21, the day before the raid. On the same day, Rios was stopped along with the children and Vargas in the car. Lawyers want to know why Vargas wasn’t arrested before the raid happened.

“Wrong guy, wrong house and overdid it,” lawyer Tony Bazby said.

“We were informed about the requirement of Mr. Buzby to the city authorities.

“Chief Bally and the Galveston Police Department insist that the incident involving the deployment and activities of the SWAT team at the 5300 block of Avenue O was carried out in accordance with applicable laws, departmental policies and procedures, and a valid warrant.

“The Acting Chief of Police, in consultation with the City, has asked the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department to conduct an independent investigation into this matter to determine if there has been any departure from GPD law, policy, procedures, or warrant(s).

“Until this investigation is completed and the report is reviewed by city officials, any comments will be premature. The City has filed a claim with their insurance company and the City Risk Manager will contact a lawyer representing the property owner to help them. when considering their requirements.

On January 20, Galveston police said officers arrived at 39th Street near Broadway Avenue J after receiving reports of gunshots.

When the police arrived, they found Malik Dann, 25, who had been shot multiple times. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died, police said.

A few days later, Vargas was taken into custody on a murder charge that was eventually dropped.

Galveston city manager Brian Maxwell placed Bally on 10 days of administrative leave following the raid. An internal investigation into Ballie’s conduct was also ordered.

“In particular, the city administration is investigating a communication disruption in connection with a search conducted in the early morning of January 22,” the agency said in a statement.

Assistant Chief of Police Andre Mitchell served as acting chief during Bally’s leave.