Former APD officer arrested

Updated: Wednesday, 10 Nov 2010, 12:56 AM CST
Published : Tuesday, 09 Nov 2010, 6:02 PM CST

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - Former Austin police officer Leonardo Quintana was arrested by Leander police late Tuesday.

He faces four misdemeanor charges in connection with an assault in November 2009 on his then-fiancee, according to officials at the Williamson County Jail. The charges are:

• 1 criminal trespass
• 2 assault, family violence with bodily injury
• 1 criminal mischief??????????

According to jail officials Quintana's bond was set at $8,000 and he posted it late Tuesday night.

We received a statement Tuesday evening from Quintana attorney, DWI Trial Attorney Jaime Balagia concerning Quintana’s arrest,

"this arrest is nothing more than sour grapes by the Austin Police Department because of the recent arbitration decision that ordered the Department to reinstate Quintana to his position as an Austin Police officer. Balagia also said "APD will stop at nothing in its vengeance to destroy officer Quintana's career. If Quintana is found guilty (or receives a deferred adjudication) for family violence assault he will be prohibited from possessing a firearm which would result in his inability to work as a police officer and APD could fire him. If Quintana is found guilty (or receives deferred adjudication) of any Misdemeanor crime he will lose his TCLEOSE Peace Officer License and the department could fire him."??

Quintana, who recently got his job back with the Austin Police Department only to get fired again six days later, is known for his role in the death of an 18-year-old in East Austin. Quintana killed Nathaniel Sanders in an early morning incident in May 2009 -- though his first firing, which the arbitrator reduced to a 15-day suspension after mediation hearings earlier this year -- had little to do with that. Quintana was initially fired in May in connection with a driving while intoxicated arrest on Jan. 11, but convinced a arbitrator to reduce it to a suspension and get him his job back. Six days later, he was fired again in connection with an October 2009 domestic incident involving his then-fiancee.

APD Chief Art Acevedo in May fired the 33-year-old following his arrest on Jan. 11 on charges of driving while intoxicated in Leander. His case is reportedly still pending, and the trial is set for November.

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