Port Aransas law enforcement and emergency crews were kept busy during a chaotic spring break weekend that included a shooting and a major crash with injuries.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Port Aransas law enforcement and emergency crews were kept busy during a chaotic spring break weekend that included a shooting that sent five people to the hospital and a major crash that left one person seriously injured.
Authorities say a 17-year-old from San Antonio is now facing multiple charges in connection with the shooting.
The suspected shooter, 17-year-old Ernesto Castillo, appeared before a judge in the Nueces County Courthouse Monday. His bond was set at $500,000.
Castillo faces five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, each charge carrying a $100,000 bond.
According to Port Aransas police, the shooting stemmed from an altercation between two groups.
Court records obtained by 3NEWS show Castillo told police he fired multiple shots at the group while driving away.
Five people were injured and taken to the hospital.
Officials say the victims were later reported to be in stable condition, and some have already been released.
The shooting was just one of several serious incidents during the busy spring break weekend.
A viral video circulating on social media shows the moment a Jeep crashes into another vehicle along Highway 361.
The impact was so severe that a passenger was thrown from the vehicle and onto the roadway.
According to court documents, the driver, Riley Rhoades was arrested for DWI after blowing .14 and .12 during breath tests.
He now faces a charge of intoxication assault.
One person involved in the crash remains hospitalized with a serious head injury. Rhoades is currently in the Nueces County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Port Aransas Mayor Wendy Moore says the city expects large crowds every spring break, but incidents like these are frustrating for residents.
Spring break is a major economic driver for the coastal community, bringing tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Moore says the city prepares well in advance.
“We do have a very large first responder presence and they do a lot of training, we bring people in from around the state to help support us to manage the crowds.”
The mayor says the city typically welcomes 80,000 to 100,000 visitors during the spring break period.
Many of the issues, she says, come from reckless behavior by out-of-town visitors.
Port Aransas Police say they are working closely with other agencies to keep the area safe.
Lt. Mike Hannon says their department receives additional help from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and DPS troopers during spring break. Something that helped save lives following the shooting.
“Provided immediate medical care, argue we saved many of those victims from bleeding out.”
Hannon says most visitors behave responsibly, but officers are focused on stopping unsafe behavior.
“What the community does not want here, what we are looking for, is bad conduct. unsafe conduct, people that are driving in an unsafe way. conducting themselves in an unsafe way,” said Hannon. “We’ve done that with a much higher level of enforcement, citations, and arrests, we’re hoping to deter that, and have people who want to come here for that purpose, not come here.”
Since the start of spring break, officers and partner agencies have made 15 DWI arrests in Port Aransas.
Mayor Moore says while spring break can sometimes be chaotic for locals, safety remains the city’s top priority.
“We want those residents and visitors alike to know that we work really hard to keep these things isolated and keep them safe, and I hope they equally be diligent about where they are of their surroundings.”
After each spring break season, city leaders meet to evaluate how to improve safety plans.
“How do we make it better, safer, to make sure these kinds of things don’t happen.”
Officials say those discussions help prepare Port Aransas for future spring break crowds while keeping both residents and visitors safe.