Published: July 25, 2008 12:35 am            

Deputy indicted, resigns position

Onstott submits verbal resignation to chief deputy

A Navarro County deputy was indicted on aggravated assault charges Thursday, then later in the afternoon resigned from the sheriff’s department.

A grand jury handed down the indictment on an aggravated assault charge against Duane Onstott. He was suspended with pay in May after an assault complaint was leveled against him.

Corsicana police were the investigators on the Memorial Day incident which occurred in their jurisdiction.

While off duty, it is alleged that Onstott and another man got into an altercation, during which Onstott pulled his weapon.

“Duane Onstott told me this afternoon that he is resigned and that he would get that to me in writing,” Chief Deputy Mike Cox said late Thursday afternoon.

Navarro County District Attorney R. Lowell Thompson said a formal warrant for Onstott’s arrest will now be issued.

The grand jury issued 54 indictments Thursday from 57 cases presented to it.

Among those other indictments were three indictments for organized crime. Christopher Trevino, William M. Morgan and Rutilio Bernal are accused of stealing several mowers from Vitters Tractor on May 26 this year. The were caught in the vicinity of the Chili’s restaurant with the mowers inside a rental truck.

Also, Tony Caldwell was indicted for escape. He walked out of the Navarro County jail in May, but was caught a few days later. He also has a drug possession charge pending.

Caldwell’s escape was one of two from the county jail this year.

In an unrelated case, Jose Santoyo was indicted for hindering apprehension/prosecution. He is accused of aiding Gabriel Jaimes-Rios, who escaped from the county farm. Law enforcement say Santoyo was the driver of the vehicle that Jaimes-Rios fled the scene in.

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Loyd Cook may be reached via e-mail at lcook@corsicanadailysun.com

        

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