Latest news with #MidlandCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New joint program between PermiaCare and local law enforcement agencies
May 28—May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to by Mental Health America to highlight the importance of mental well-being, educate the public, reduce stigma and promote support for those affected by mental health conditions. In this regard, PermiaCare has announced a new collaborative program that will begin soon in the Permian Basin. PermiaCare has teamed up with the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Odessa Police Department to secure funding for a co-responder program for the communities of Midland and Odessa. The Texas Health and Human Services Mental Health Grant for Justice Involved Individuals with Behavioral Health Conditions (Senate Bill 292) will provide funding for a co-responder model of criminal justice diversion, pairing up law enforcement and behavioral health specialists to intervene and respond to behavioral health-related calls. These teams utilize the combined expertise of the law enforcement officer and the behavioral health specialists to de-escalate situations and help link individuals with behavioral health issues to appropriate services, a news release said. On scene, the team works not only to de-escalate the situation, but also provide behavioral health screening and assessment, call disposition planning and referral or linkage to needed services. The planning at the end of the encounter depends on several unique factors, and outcomes can range from leaving the individual with necessary resources, transporting the individual to a hospital or walk-in clinic, and providing support and resources for family members and others on-scene. Teams also follow up with individuals after they leave the initial encounter. The City of Midland and Ector County currently operate crisis response systems for individuals with behavioral health conditions that are typical for the State of Texas utilizing TCOLE trained mental health deputies, police officers, and PermiaCare crisis workers responding independently. Sometimes these responses are separate and other times they are collaborative, with everyone involved. While this is highly effective and remains a positive and necessary aspect of a good crisis response system, adding co-response can lighten the burden for all, improve efficiency, improve communication, and unify the mission, the release said. Across Texas, co-responder teams are increasing rapidly because they reduce arrests, use of force, and receive positive feedback from law enforcement and mental health professionals. Co-response increases collaboration and communication between law enforcement and mental health professionals, which helps build better relationships between the agencies to increase referrals and identify gaps in coverage. The teams understand each other better and act with a unified mission and purpose. By providing individuals in crisis with access to mental health treatment and support, co-responder programs can help reduce the risk of harm to both the individual and the community which creates a safer and more resilient community overall. Improved mental health support decreases the cost of incarceration, decreases the use of costly emergency departments, and prevents unnecessary mental health related hospitalizations and transport. How is the co-responder program funded? PermiaCare is a conduit for state and federal grant funding to support a wide array of social service needs, which includes programs to support individuals with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorder. Utilizing our connection to State funding, PermiaCare applied for a Texas Health and Human Service Needs and Capacity Assessment entitled, "The Mental Health Grant for Justice Involved Individuals" or Senate Bill 292. This category of grant requires local support through cash or in-kind match at a rate of 50%. The Odessa Police Department, Midland County Sheriff's Office, and PermiaCare receive a full program of staff for 33 cents on the dollar, with the State of Texas covering the other 67 cents. A review of the County Jail Diversion options in 2018 identified approximately 19% of the census of a Jail were estimated to have mental health conditions and charges that met the parameters for diversion. The 2022 PermiaCare Community Needs Assessment identified Crisis Intervention Services as the largest mental health services gap in the community. The co-responder program will provide a great asset for the local community and assist with managing the flow of crisis to the new Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center (PBBHC) to ensure its capacity is focused on the most appropriate populations. PermiaCare anticipates the co-responder team will support approximately 450 justice involved individuals with mental health concerns per year. PermiaCare expects the program to begin operations June 1, 2025. Despite progress in mental health initiatives, more than 30 million people in the U.S. still lack access to comprehensive, high-quality care. These statistics highlight the ongoing need for Mental Health Awareness Month and the importance of bringing attention to this disparity: — 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. — 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year. — 1 in 6 U.S. youth have a mental health condition, but only half receive treatment. — 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. — In 2023, 20% of all high school students seriously considered suicide.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Midland County sex offender arrests: what we know about the 8 men taken into custody
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The Midland County Sheriff's Office arrested eight individuals during a sex offender compliance operation conducted on Thursday, May 22, 2025, with support from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The operation was carried out by the Sheriff's Criminal Investigations and Patrol Divisions, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety's Criminal Investigations Division. It focused on locating and holding accountable sex offenders who failed to meet their legal obligations. Each of the individuals arrested was charged with Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Duty to Register, a felony offense under Texas Penal Code §62.102. This charge applies when a person who is legally required to register as a sex offender does not keep their registration current, for example, by failing to report changes in address, employment, or vehicle information. The level of the offense can vary depending on the person's underlying conviction and prior registration history. The following individuals were taken into custody: Gilbert EspinozaDOB: 8/28/1967Original Offenses:– Aggravated Sexual Assault (Victim age 19)– Aggravated Kidnapping involving a victim under 17Registration: Lifetime, Quarterly verification Leonard JacksonDOB: 9/7/1964Original Offense:– Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child (Victim age 13)Registration: Lifetime | Annual verification Nealy MitchellDOB: 7/30/1965Original Offenses:– Sexual Assault of a Child (Victim age 16)– Indecency with a Child by Contact (Victim age 7)Registration: Lifetime, Quarterly verification Nathaniel MontoyaDOB: 6/25/1973At the time of publication, Montoya's information was not publicly available in the Texas sex offender registry. John SmithDOB: 9/23/1956Original Offenses:– Multiple counts of Sexual Assault of a Child (Victim age 9)– Sexual Assault of a Child under 16 (Victim age 13)Registration: Lifetime, Quarterly verification David WebbDOB: 7/21/1955Original Offense:– Sexual Assault (Victim age 14)Registration: Lifetime, Annual verification Brian WeeksDOB: 4/18/1973Original Offense:– Sodomy of a Minor Under 12 (Victim age 12)Registration: Lifetime, Annual verification Michael WilliamsonDOB: 7/14/1989Original Offense:– Lewd or Indecent Acts Toward a Child Under 16 (Victim age 14)Jurisdiction: OklahomaRegistration: Lifetime, Annual verification The Midland County Sheriff's Office emphasized the role of public cooperation and Crime Stoppers in ensuring safety and accountability. 'Sheriff Criner remains committed to protecting the citizens of Midland County by arresting those who prey on our community,' the department said in a statement. 'Compliance operations like these send a clear message: failure to register will not be ignored.' Authorities say additional compliance checks may be conducted in the future as part of ongoing public safety efforts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Midland man accused of choking girlfriend, hitting child during domestic dispute
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A Midland man was arrested after deputies said he assaulted his girlfriend and her son during an altercation. According to an affidavit from the Midland County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the home around 3:15 a.m. for a disturbance call involving an assault in progress. 'I Love Little Boys': Affidavit details chat leading to Midland man's arrest in Predator Sting The woman told deputies that her boyfriend, Brenisson Lampson Henriquez, 24, had come home intoxicated from a bar and attempted to initiate sex while she was asleep. When she refused, she said Henriquez held her down, placed his hand over her mouth, and began choking her. She said she had difficulty breathing and feared she would lose consciousness. According to the affidavit, when she told Henriquez he was hurting her. She said he then slapped her face multiple times and struck her again as she attempted to get up. The woman said she called out to her son during the incident. Henriquez allegedly responded by threatening the child, saying he would kill him, before entering the room where the child was located. According to the affidavit, the woman said her child tried to call 911, but Henriquez stopped him. She then tried to call emergency services herself, but Henriquez allegedly ended the call as it was connecting. The woman told deputies she instructed her child to run to a neighbor's home and ask them to call 911, which he did. Deputies reported visible red marks on the woman's neck and swelling on her face consistent with her account of the assault. The child told deputies he woke up to his mother yelling for help and saw Henriquez holding a knife. He said Henriquez then punched him in the face, and he ran out of the home with Henriquez chasing after him. Deputies noted they did not find a knife at the scene but observed a knife sharpener nearby. The woman told deputies she intended to file charges against Henriquez, and deputies arrested him based on statements from the individuals involved and the injuries observed. Henriquez was booked into the Midland County jail and is facing multiple charges, including: Assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation Assault causing bodily injury to a family member Interference with an emergency call As of Monday morning, Henriquez remains in the Midland County jail with a combined $60,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dallas man arrested on human trafficking charges in Midland
MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A Dallas man was arrested and two women rescued after a traffic stop late last week that caused deputies to be suspicious. Damonte Baty, 33, has been charged with human trafficking, a second-degree felony. According to court records, on April 4, deputies with the Midland County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about a 'rolling disturbance' on Rankin Highway. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and learned that the driver, identified as Baty, was driving without a valid license and Baty was detained as part of the investigation. During a roadside investigation, deputies searched the car and found condoms as well as 'bulk US currency'. They also found a woman, identified only as Victim #1, with injuries to her arm. The woman told investigators that she'd been forced into prostitution by Baty and that all the money she made went to directly to Baty, so much so that she didn't even have money for food. The woman said she was afraid of Baty and investigators said the 'hostile' nature of their relationship was confirmed in text messages. While another victim in the car, identified as Victim #2, refused to speak with police, investigators said that Baty admitted that he'd driven the two women to Odessa from Dallas and investigators said that he 'coerced' the women into performing sex acts for money by giving them drugs and threatening them with violence. Investigators also said that Baty claimed he was acting as a pimp only collected a portion of the money, but electronic payments showed that all money from the prostitution went directly to Baty. Baty was arrested and booked into the Midland County Detention Center where he remained as of Monday afternoon on a $500,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Midland felon sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography
Mar. 28—MIDLAND — A Midland man was sentenced in federal court to 360 months in prison for child pornography production and drug and firearm offenses. According to court documents, Job Jasso Jr., 27, led a Midland County Sheriff's Office deputy on a high-speed chase following an attempted traffic stop on March 13, 2024. Jasso crashed the vehicle and fled on foot, leaving a 17-year-old female in the passenger seat. A search of her phone revealed multiple sexually explicit photos of Jasso and the minor female. On March 25, 2024, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and other partnered agencies executed an arrest warrant at a hotel where Jasso was staying. Inside the room, Jasso and the minor victim from the March 13 incident were naked and taken into custody. Two firearms were seized during the arrest. An executed search warrant also revealed additional firearms, along with firearm accessories and ammunition, drug paraphernalia, 63.2 grams of fentanyl pills, and other related items. Review of a recovered smartphone found approximately 44 images and two videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and child exploitative material (CEM) depicting the minor victim. A search warrant return for a cloud storage account also uncovered 12 videos of CSAM and CEM of the minor victim. Jasso had previously been convicted in the 142nd District Court in Midland for aggravated kidnapping and received a sentence of five years' confinement. On Aug. 28, 2024, Jasso was indicted for one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime; and one count of possession of stolen firearms. A federal jury found him guilty of all four counts Nov. 6, 2024. A second indictment was filed Sept. 25, 2024, for two counts of production of child pornography. Jasso was also found guilty on both of those counts in a federal trial Dec. 10, 2024. U.S. District Judge David Counts sentenced Jasso to 360 months in prison for both child pornography charges, as well as a concurrent 300 months in prison for the other four counts. Judge Counts also ordered Jasso pay $55,000 in restitution. "Jasso has amassed a troubling criminal record over the years, carelessly placing others—including minors—in grave danger through his illicit actions," said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. "The 30-year sentence that he will now serve in federal prison is a significant penalty that appropriately fits the multiple offenses for which he was found guilty by a jury." "This sentence serves as a reminder to all predators. We will not allow crimes against children to go unpunished," said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. "While this significant sentence cannot repair the damage done, it is a warning to those who engage in this behavior: FBI and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in our pursuit of child predators." The FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, Odessa Police Department, and Midland County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Sloane prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit
