Issue: Sex offender in neighborhood

The issue:

Gualberto Huerta, who lives in the Villa del Rey Subdivision on the city’s north east side, says he did not know a sex offender lived near his home and that Brownsville police officers never notified him that the convicted felon lived in his neighborhood.

A search on the Texas Department of Public Safety Web site shows Daniel Salinas, 27, lives at 3564 Villa Del Rey. He was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a 14-year-old boy in the mid-90s and ordered to serve two years in prison. His registration and address were last verified on July 12, 2007, according to DPS records.

Who to call:

Brownsville police spokesman Eddie Garcia, (956) 548-7130. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Web site, txdps.state.tx.us.

What they said:

Garcia said that when a sex offender moves or relocates to another area in the city, county, state or nation, it is the sex offenders’ responsibility to register with the local police department where he will reside.

A picture of the individual is taken, as well as his/hers contact information, which includes telephone number, physical address, height, weight, sex, shoe seize, race, eye color, hair color, risk level as well as any other names or aliases that person might be known by.

“They (DPS) notify us that so and so is going to be moving here,” he said. “They (sex offenders) come and register with us. It is not up to us to go and look for them — they have to come to us.”

“We then collect the information and forward it to DPS so they may update their records and Web site.”

When the sex offender is registered with Brownsville police and their records are updated with DPS, DPS will send out notices to those that live near the person, Garcia said.

It was unknown if Huerta received a notice. He did not return call for comment or clarification.

— Compiled by José Borjón