by Lorenzo Zazueta
MISSION — A Mission woman has
filed a federal lawsuit claiming one of the city’s police officer hurt her by
roughing her up during a 2012 drunken driving arrest — when she wasn’t drunk.
Lucia Ledezma, 52, is suing the
city, arresting police officer Omar Diaz de Villegas, ex Mission police Chief
and current City Manager Martin Garza and current Chief Robert Dominguez for
false arrest and excessive force. She is seeking monetary damages to cover
physical and mental anguish.
According to the lawsuit, Diaz
de Villegas pulled over Ledezma July 18, 2012 and asked her to perform a field
sobriety test. Ledezma told him she could not do so due to a recent lower-back
surgery and because she was nervous from him yelling at her.
Ledezma told Diaz de Villegas
she had not had any alcohol that night but he still arrested her for drunken
driving, the complaint says.
It says Ledezma did not resist
the arrest, but Diaz de Villegas violently grabbed her arms and placed them
behind her back in order to handcuff her. Ledezma said she then heard a ‘pop’
in her right arm.
The complaint further alleges
Diaz de Villegas threw Ledezma head first into the back of the patrol car,
causing her to hit her head on a hard shell on the back of the front seat.
Diaz de Villegas took Ledezma
to the Palmview Police Department where she was given a breathalyzer test. The
results showed Ledezma was not intoxicated, according to the complaint.
Garza referred comments on the
case to law firm Guerra, Leeds, Sabo and Hernandez, which is representing the
city. Attorney Bobby Guerra said the firm is in the initial stages of looking
into the lawsuit and would be filing a response soon.
“I will be vehemently defending
the city in this matter,” Guerra said.