Hidalgo coach arrested for drug possession
McALLEN — Police arrested an Hidalgo High School football coach on Sunday after he admitted to hiding marijuana in his home and told officers about the machine he used to roll joints.
Marcuadan “Mark” Leal, 34, of McAllen, has been suspended from his job as an assistant coach with the high school’s football team, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, school district Superintendent Daniel King said on Monday afternoon.
The district still had not decided whether Leal would receive a paycheck during his forced leave.
“It hit us like a glass of cold water,” King said, referring to the news of Leal’s arrest. “But we don’t have all the facts yet. We have to wait and see.”
According the probable cause affidavit in his case, officers were led to Leal’s west-side McAllen apartment by a neighbor who suspected the coach kept marijuana there.
Investigators asked Leal and his father, who lives with him, for permission to search the home and the coach volunteered that he was hiding the drug in his dresser, the document states.
Inside, officers found a sandwich bag containing nearly 75 grams of pot.
When asked if there was any other drug paraphernalia inside the room, Leal told officers about his joint rolling machine but said he didn’t know where it was, the affidavit says.
He was arrested, charged with possession of marijuana and released from the Hidalgo County Jail on $5,000 bond by Monday afternoon.
Leal had worked for the Hidalgo School District for two years and had not had any prior black marks on his record, King said.
If convicted of the Class A misdemeanor offencse, he could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
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Jeremy Roebuck covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.
