- Hollywood's description of its show, Barnaby Jones
By FRANK CANNON
Special to The Tribune
HARLINGEN, Texas - The cases hang over this Mid-Valley town like two bad chiles on a rotting ristra vine: one the strange case of a ranking police officer's niece and something about her perhaps rolling over some kid with her car, and this past weekend's wild shootout downtown that left two young Mercedes men dead at the scene.
Enter former Harlingen Police Department legendary cop Joe Rubio to play the part of local Barnaby Jones. He's retired, see, after a car accident injured his back. Steadfast in his detective work, the private eye now works the streets and city records, looking for answers his former pals at HPD can't - or won't - give to this community of some 74,000 info-starved denizens.
Can Rubio do it? Can he bust wide-open a bureaucracy hellbent on keeping things quiet? His community waits with bated breadth. Characterized as a "good cop," Rubio has stayed abreast of city doings, running for office and eyeballing HPD's comings & goings. He loves & hates the phrase "has-been," and won't assign it to himself, but a lot is riding on Rubio's current work. If he solves these cases, he's on the rail to - perhaps - political office. If he fails, well, there'll come the "has-been" thing.
One case involves a ranking member of the HPD. Most in the community have come to learn something about that one by way of the city's two noisy Blogs - MyHarlingenNews.Com and MyLeaderNews.com, where Rubio has been posting some of his suspicions and findings of late. In the ranking officer's daughter's case (the captain is identified as Michael Kester; his niece as Tessa Estrada), he wonders why HPD filed only DWI charges against her when she reportedly told officers of running over a body. Much about the case has not been made public, and Rubio is ready to take it public. Aside from working for the grieving family of 17-year-old Reynaldo Gonzalez, Rubio has placed himself on the next City Commission meeting's agenda, where he says he will ask that HPD be forthcoming, that city leaders themselves demand answers from Chief Danny Castillo.
Rubio also has been nosing around the weekend killings, although his focus on that one is not quite clear. HPD, with the help of San Benito police, tracked down a suspect who was arrested rather quickly. Rubio has written that he was near the scene of the downtown shooting Saturday night and witnessed a bit of the HPD response. What his interest in that case may be remains something only Rubio knows. Still, it is a private citizen doing something about lousy things taking place in his community.
Joe Rubio is not Barnaby Jones, and he won't solve his cases in one hour as the TV star did it on his show.
But he's on the beat, nosing around, asking for records, talking to people, wanting answers, stubbornly chasing the juicy tidbits to do with why HPD has a tough time being transparent, running scenarios across his brain like dramatic frames off some movie thriller. If it can be done, Joe Rubio says he will do it.
Things just got tougher for the boys in blue at the Harlingen Police Department.
Joe Rubio is in town, and on the clock...
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3 comments:
Joe Rubio ran for Mayor, he speaks about wrong doings at the city of harlingen.
Until the city sets up a review board for the police, citizens like Mr. Rubio are a real asset to the city.
Harlingen, is a city with no directions and now the sons of the old guard are fighting back. But as the saying goes: "We shall overcome"
MARIA LUISA:...Joe Rubio seems to have his fans and his detractors. We don't know much about him, but maybe we'll know more down the line. It's our feeling that any community with citizens noseying here & there is better than one on its knees. Let's hope Rubio's detective work pays off in a positive way... - Editor
This coming Wed. at the Commission meeting, parents of the 17 year old found on the road plan to ask for explanations.
There is a believe that the HPD is trying to cover a mishap up.
I am glad that the mother of the decease accompanied by Joe Rubio is going to ask the city manager and police chief for an explanation. Since the hpd is now asking mr. Rubio for a subpoena to speak to the investigations officer.
Daniel Castillo please resign!! You are now a liability to the city of Harlingen, man-up, and admit you are not qualified to be police chief.
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