Courtesy/Webb County Sheriff’s Office
The wheels of justice turn daily in Laredo’s district courts, where felony charges — some years old, others newly filed — move through the system. Here’s a look at some of the cases that were recently on the docket.
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Indecent assault, a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
Indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.Â
Date filed: June 23, 2021.
Latest info: Salinas pleaded guilty to a lesser included charge of indecent assault during an April 9 final pretrial hearing in the 341st District Court. Judge Beckie Palomo accepted the plea agreement and sentenced him to one year in the Webb County Jail, with credit for time served applied toward both court costs and the sentence. As part of the agreement, the original second-degree felony charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact was dismissed, and the sentence will run concurrent with another pending case. A victim impact statement was filed with the court.
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Salinas was arrested for sexually touching a girl in 2018, according to court documents.
A grand jury charged San Jose Salinas, 61, with two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact on June 23, 2021.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on June 30, 2021. Salinas remained at large until the Webb County Sheriff’s Office arrested him on Sept. 14, 2022.
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Salinas is accused of engaging in sexual contact with a girl with the intent to arouse or gratify his sexual desire.
Charges: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Date filed: July 23, 2025.
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Latest info:Â Salinas pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon during an April 9 hearing in the 341st District Court, where Judge Beckie Palomo deferred a finding of guilt and placed him on five years of community supervision. The court also ordered him to complete anger management and cognitive intervention classes, with a compliance hearing set for August 18.
Charges: Aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Date filed: Jan. 28, 2026.
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Latest info:Â Zuniga pleaded not guilty during an April 9 arraignment in the 341st District Court, where Judge Beckie Palomo set deadlines including an informal pretrial conference for April 23 and a pretrial hearing for June 4. He remains on bond with the case pending further proceedings.
Assault of a peace officer or judge, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Obstruction or retaliation, a third-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison.
Possession of a controlled substance penalty group 1 under 1 gram, a state jail felony punishable by 180 days to two years in a state jail.
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Date filed: Jan. 28, 2026.
Latest info:Â Almendarez pleaded guilty to obstruction or retaliation during an April 9 hearing in the 49th District Court, where Judge Jose A. Lopez accepted the plea agreement and sentenced him to 10 years of community supervision. Two remaining charges were dismissed as part of the agreement, and the court ordered participation in a drug court program and community service.
Omar Alejandro De La Fuente
Charges: Indecent assault, a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
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Date filed: July 23, 2025.
Latest info: De La Fuente pleaded guilty to indecent assault during an April 9 final pretrial hearing in the 341st District Court, where Judge Beckie Palomo accepted the plea agreement and sentenced him to 365 days in the Webb County Jail. The court granted credit for time served to be applied first toward fees and then toward the sentence, with court costs assessed.
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Robbery, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Date filed: June 25, 2025.
Latest info: On April 9, Castillo pleaded guilty to a lesser included charge of robbery in the 49th District Court, where Judge Jose Maldonado sentenced him to eight years in prison probated for eight years and ordered him to participate in a mental health court program. The aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
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