Woman with 76 outstanding warrants no show in court

HARLINGEN — A woman with multiple oustanding warrants failed to appear in court Monday and in so doing may have doubled the number of warrants and fines she owes.

Valerie Ortiz Sanchez was scheduled to appear in municipal court to set up a plan to resolve more than $15,000 in delinquent fines, officials said.

Ortiz Sanchez, 31, now faces new charges for failing to appear in court about two weeks after police discovered she had 76 outstanding warrants that dated back to 1998.

“Seventy six warrants — again,” Court Administrator Cindy Weaver said after a bailiff locked the court’s doors at 6 p.m., signaling the end of the court session Monday.

As part of an agreement that led to her release from jail two weeks ago, Ortiz Sanchez promised the court she’d take care of unfinished business, Municipal Court Judge Valerie Garcia said in an interview outside the courtroom.

“She was supposed to come in, but she didn’t,” Garcia said flatly in an interview after court closed.

As part of her Jan. 15 agreement with the court, Ortiz Sanchez was scheduled to appear in court between 3 and 6 p.m. to set up a payment plan to pay her outstanding warrants, Garcia said.

Under the agreement, the court was scheduled to set pre-trial hearings on Ortiz Sanchez’s Class C misdemeanor charges of driving an uninsured car and parking in a space for handicapped drivers, Garcia said.

It wasn’t the first time Ortiz Sanchez reneged on promises to pay delinquent fines.

Harlingen police arrested Ortiz Sanchez in 2006 and 2007, Police Chief Danny Castillo said last week. Each time, she promised to work to settle her fines, he said. And each time, she skipped out on her promises, he said.

On Jan. 14, officer Salvador Carmona arrested Ortiz Sanchez after he spotted an expired registration sticker on her car, Castillo said. A dispatcher’s check with Municipal Court found she had 76 outstanding warrants.

The next day, Ortiz Sanchez appeared before Garcia, who set bond at $1,000 for driving without a valid license and $1,500 as a minimum payment on the warrants.

Garcia dismissed some warrants because they dated back so many years, leaving Ortiz Sanchez with a total of $15,696 in fines and fees.

It is unclear at this time what warrants remain outstanding and what fines are owed. No court or police officials have provided a list of the warrants.

After leaving the courtroom, San Benito police arrested Ortiz Sanchez for 10 outstanding warrants.

Jan. 17, San Benito officials released her after she posted $2,718 in fines.

Now, Cameron County authorities want to arrest her for outstanding warrants in Harlingen, San Benito, La Feria and Brownsville, San Benito Justice of the Peace David Garza said.

In Cameron County, she owes about $3,000 in fines, Garza said.