UPDATE (11:40 a.m. May 5): The arrest-warrant affidavit for Mary Alexandra Medina provides details about why she was arrested.
The affidavit cites an interview Texas Ranger Patrick O'Connor conducted with Medina in February. The interview, coupled with further investigation, provided the probable cause affidavit states O'Connor concluded she "with intent to deceive, knowingly (made) . . . a false statement, namely knowledge that Dr. Lyden was practicing medicine when she did not possess a valid Texas Medical License."
"Medina 'assumed' that a medical license is required for the position of Deputy Chief Medical Examiner," it also states.
UPDATE (8 p.m. May 4):
According to the Nueces County Sheriffs Office, Mary Alexandra Medina was booked into the Nueces County Jail on Wednesday evening.
Medina is charged with false report to a peace officer, federal special investigator, law enforcement employee, a state misdemeanor.
Medina is being held on a $20,000 bond.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office Administrator Mary Alexandra Medina was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon.
The charges currently are unclear.
When asked about Wednesday's arrest, Texas Rangers referred KRIS 6 News to their public information officer in Weslaco.
The Texas Rangers' presence at the medical examiner's office Wednesday is just the latest in a series of visits this year that resulted in the arrest of former chief deputy medical examiner Dr. Sandra Lyden in March and former chief medical examiner Dr. Adel Shaker's arrest in April.
In Medina's case, a search warrant was executed by Texas Ranger Patrick O'Connor in April on suspicion of Unlawful Intercept of Oral Communications. Medina is known in the medical examiner's office as "Alex."
He states in the affidavit that four medical examiner's office employees had accused Medina of listening in on private conversations pertaining to a criminal investigation via the office's security cameras.
Shaker confirmed to Rangers that Medina had access to security camera feeds on her personal phone. The phone was seized by Rangers.
In a letter to Nueces County officials, Medina refutes the allegations, saying she had been the "prime target along with previous employee(s) and have been subjected to continuous unfounded allegations of corruption within this office."
She said O'Connor questioned why the cameras' installation coincided with the timing of the allegations against the medical examiner's office, which she denied, saying the work order for the cameras had been in place for almost two years and delayed by a lack of funds and then COVID-19.
This is a developing story. Check back with KRIS 6 News for updates.
