Former sheriff's sergeant charged with sexual assault
McALLEN — Former Hidalgo County sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Caples was arrested Thursday night for allegedly raping a minor.
Caples, who was fired from the sheriff’s office after a drunken driving incident in January 2004, was briefly held at the Hidalgo County Jail on one count of sexual assault, a second-degree felony. He posted a $75,000 bail bond several hours later and was released, booking officials said.
The 10-year sheriff’s office veteran is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl four years ago. The alleged victim, now 18, made an outcry to her mother in April. The McAllen Police Department has been investigating the allegation since then.
“It’s horrific,” the victim’s mother said. “She was just 14. It was a secret she held, but she couldn’t take it anymore.”
It is The Monitor’s policy not to identify those who may be victims of sex crimes. The teenager’s relationship to the suspect is being withheld to protect her identity.
A phone listing for Caples could not be found Friday.
Caples, 40, was convicted of drunken driving and hitting a railroad switching box at the intersection of Mayberry Avenue and Military Highway on Jan. 4, 2004. Mission police arrested him along with a sheriff’s department secretary who was in the car with him.
A vocal critic of Hidalgo County government, Caples was also investigated by a grand jury in response to a harassment complaint filed in late 2001 by former Hidalgo County Judge Eloy Pulido. The complaint accused Caples and other deputies of following Pulido in November 2001 after a golf tournament at Los Lagos golf course in Edinburg. Caples’ wife, Alicia, worked at the golf course.
Caples, a strong supporter of former Hidalgo County Sheriff Henry Escalon, had also pulled Pulido over in October 2001 and questioned the validity of the license plates on his truck. The plates had been incorrectly issued and were registered to a truck that Pulido had reported stolen in 2000.
The grand jury declined to indict Caples in early 2002 in connection with the harassment complaint and did not continue the investigation.
If convicted of the sexual assault charge, he could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
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Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.
