🚨 A deputy got a call about a fight in the middle of the night. What he found was a father accused of punching his own son.
Starr County Deputy Joel Garza got the call early on August 9. It was about 2:31 in the morning. This is according to a criminal complaint obtained by El Tejano. When he got there, he found two men and a woman at the home.
👨👦 The men were Juan E. Vasquez, 55, and his son, 30. A woman at the home was also named in the report.
😔 The son told the deputy that his father hit him. He said his dad used a closed right fist. He said it happened about three times. He said he was hit on the right side of his body, near his throat, and on the left side of his head.
🩹 The son had marks to prove it. Deputies saw a small bump near his left eye. The skin was red there. He also had a small cut on his tongue.
⚖️ Vasquez is charged with Assault Causing Bodily Injury to a Family Member. That is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas law. If convicted, he could face up to a year in county jail. He could also pay a fine up to 4,000 dollars.
🏠 Cases like this happen often across South Texas. Assault charges like this one are already treated as a Class A misdemeanor under Texas law. When a defendant has prior family violence convictions, later charges can be raised to a felony. Deputies did not report any prior charges against Vasquez in this complaint.
El Tejano got this complaint through a Starr County public records request. His case is still pending in court. He has not been convicted of anything. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
📍 Starr County, Texas 🗓️ August 9, 2026
