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San Marcos residents press city council for body‑cam footage and accountability after Reyes family detentions
Summary
Family members and advocates told the City Council that the arrest and detention of Gerardo Reyes and his son were disproportionate and called for release of body‑worn camera footage, full transparency about policy violations and stronger accountability measures for San Marcos Police Department actions.
Family members of Gerardo Reyes and local advocates used the public‑comment period at the June 16 San Marcos City Council meeting to call for fuller transparency and accountability from the San Marcos Police Department, saying the department’s handling of a March 14 incident inflicted serious, ongoing harm.
"No crime occurred in the situation that led to this entire chain of event… My husband was taken from our home and from our family that depends on him," a speaker representing the Reyes family told the council, describing the emotional, financial and legal consequences her household has faced after the arrest. Several speakers said Gerardo Reyes spent 77 days in immigration detention and called the result "disproportionate." Sam Benavidez, who identified himself as an organizer working alongside the family, said the community has yet to see critical records: "We have yet to see body cam footage, the police communications, correspondence from city leadership…" He said a 24‑hour suspension for Officer Hesiel Cortina was "a slap in the face."
Guadalupe Sarinana, the mayor’s podium speaker who identified herself as a family member, urged council members not to allow delayed or incomplete disclosure. "Accountability cannot depend on who is involved," she said. "Transparency cannot become slower or harder to receive when it involves those in positions of authority."
Multiple speakers urged the release of body‑worn camera footage and clearer communications about any policy violations the department found. Advocate Amy Camp said the family’s experience "is making sure this doesn't happen, period," and called for stronger de‑escalation and oversight strategies.
City officials did not announce new action during the public‑comment block; the public record shows repeated requests from the family and advocates for documents and footage. Councilmembers and staff later addressed policing and transparency in separate items and conversations during the meeting, but no formal vote altering department discipline or disclosure policy was recorded in the June 16 minutes. The council packet and staff responses referenced an ongoing review process and that some limited discipline had been taken in relation to the incident.
