Deputy constable arrested on assault charges
A deputy constable with Precinct 6 spent the night in jail after Los Fresnos police arrested him on charges of felony assault and official oppression.
Francisco “Frank” Saldaña, 39, was arrested at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with one count of assault on a public servant, one count of official oppression, and one count of interfering with a 911 call, stated Los Fresnos Police spokesman Mark Millum.
Saldaña was released on $8,000 bond Wednesday morning, records show.
According to a press release from Los Fresnos police, the charges against Saldaña stem from an assault against a security guard following a bar fight that took place at 2 a.m. Saturday.
When police responded, they met with the security guard, who stated that while trying to call police during an altercation at the bar, Saldaña grabbed the cell phone out of his hands. Saldaña then grabbed the security guard by the throat and pushed him against a vehicle, records say.
According to the release, Saldaña is then quoted as saying “Don’t f—-ing step over my boundaries again. I am with county, b---h.”
Cameron County Pct. 6 Constable Merced Burnias said he was disappointed when he heard that one of his deputies had been arrested on such charges.
“This is disappointing. No one likes to see this kind of behavior, much less when the accusations point to a member of the law enforcement community,” Burnias said.
Saldaña has been suspended without pay and his county-issued credentials and equipment have been surrendered while the department conducts an administrative inquiry.
Prior to his arrest, Saldaña had served with Pct. 6 constables for more than 12 years.
