SAN ANTONIO -- Two county departments shifted blame back and forth Tuesday, after an I-Team investigation revealed a defendant in a violation of a protective order case was released from jail over the weekend without GPS monitoring.
Pretrial Services Director Mike Lozito and County Clerk Gerry Rickhoff said a GPS hold should have been entered for Jerry Saucedo, 42, after his court appearance last Thursday.
However, both officials said Tuesday the other department was responsible for entering the information in the county's computer system.
Saucedo was taken into custody Friday, a day after making a court appearance related to charges from August 2014 for harassment and violating a protective order.
Judge Genie Wright ordered Saucedo to remain on GPS monitoring during the appearance, county officials confirmed Tuesday.
Saucedo, who said he has been on a GPS monitor since his arrest 11 months ago, decided to make an unplanned stop at a restaurant without getting approval.
Saucedo said a pretrial services officer called him during the meal. Saucedo was taken into custody the following day for violating conditions of his bond.
After a family member posted bond for Saucedo Saturday, he said he asked the Bexar County Jail employee processing his release to give back his ankle monitor.
"He goes 'you had an ankle monitor on?'. I go 'yes sir.' He goes 'it doesn't say here on the paperwork you have one. Get out of here.' I was like 'okay', so I left," Saucedo said recalling his Saturday release from the Bexar County Jail.
Saucedo, who has previous misdemeanor arrests for assault, making a terroristic threat and DWI, said his release Saturday was unlike any other previous trip to jail.
A BCSO spokesman said Saucedo's bond conditions had no notifications or directives for him to remain on GPS monitoring.
"They had it off of me for three days. But if I'm a real killer, they would have let that real killer go for 2-3 days. Its not right," said Saucedo.
Saucedo, who said he pays $300 a month for the ankle monitor, was in the process of turning himself in to be refitted for a GPS monitor late Tuesday afternoon. It was not clear if he was ordered to turn himself in because of the I-Team's inquiries to various county departments.
Lozito, in multiple phone calls to the I-Team Tuesday afternoon, explained pretrial services employees have "read-only" privileges on county computers displaying defendant information. Lozito said his employees do not have "authority or access to enter that information".
This explanation contradicts statements made by Rickhoff, who said on the phone Tuesday afternoon pretrial services failed to reenter Saucedo's ankle monitor stipulation in the county's computer network.
