Tragic Incident Over the Nueces River
And, Smugglers Increasingly Risking their Pets in Kinney County
Good Morning friends,
A grim development on Highway 83, in between the City of Uvalde and the town of La Pryor. We’ve heard from two different sources that are not Kinney County government related, about a tragic incident on the highway bridge over the Nueces River.
The story goes, that a smuggler either stopped or crashed on the bridge overnight sometime before 4 AM yesterday or the day before. We’re told at least 4 illegal aliens didn’t realize where they were and must have thought they were going to hop over a small concrete barrier and enter the brush to lay up.
Instead, they plummeted to their deaths.
It must’ve happened quickly, for so many to expire in the same fashion, before realizing what was happening and where they were.
If the story sounds unlikely, consider how disoriented one might be in the pitch black, while exhausted, and perhaps just woken up from a nap while in the back of a car or truck that has just been in an accident. It’s natural to follow the leader. To do what the guy that seems to have a plan is doing.
Our understanding is that the incident is under investigation by DPS troopers. Any reporters out there wanting to follow up, should probably check in with the DPS barracks in Uvalde, or with the Uvalde Sheriff’s Office.
One also imagines there may also soon be coverage in the Uvalde Leader News which publishes several times a week, and has been doing a great job lately.
Early reports appeared on San Antonio tv-station websites, mentioning the incident as well as two deaths, before the full extent of what happened was known.
We can’t help but point out— that WOAI actually is highlighting the wrong bridge on their website— showing the location of a bridge on Highway 90 between Kinney County and Uvalde, which also crosses the Nueces River.
It’s an easy mistake to make.
Here’s a look at the actual bridge in question, between La Pryor and Uvalde.
Grim stuff. And just one more item to tally on a long list of ways illegals can come to a bad end while trying to avoid Border Patrol.
In Kinney County, it’s been another busy week— with multiple smuggling cases daily.
One that stands out involved a 14 year old girl from Houston, that required a lot of effort to find housing for, when no adult family members or parents were willing to come and take custody of her.
Another area of concern that’s seen a small increase lately: Smugglers traveling with their house pets. It boggles the mind, how casually some folks are treating this situation— taking what one assumes is a beloved animal into a risky proposition that could end with them being lost or worse.
What happens when a pet’s owner is arrested, and there’s no one available to come and get them?
In many communities such a situation would result in pets being turned over to animal control or just directly euthanized.
So far, that hasn’t had to happen in Kinney County, despite the lack of an animal control department. To date, the Sheriff’s Office has been able to foster such pets with an ad-hoc network of county employees or local residents until the accused makes bond or is able to make other arrangements involving family and friends coming to get the pet.
Even so, if the trend continues, those avenues will soon be exhausted.
And that’ll do it for this round of the Dispatch. We may be back again one more time this week. If not, look for us Monday morning.
Weather guessers say we may have at least one more round of deeply cold weather before things start warming up. Personally, we’re looking forward to it. Bring it on, and throw in some rain while you’re at it.
As always, this newsletter is an independent effort, kept as separate as possible from our day job at the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office, and should not be confused with any kind of official County Govt. communication— any mistakes, errors or other misdeeds are entirely our own.
Sad story for both human and animal.