CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — A former Nueces County District Attorney's Office investigator whose 2023 DWI charges were dismissed has been arrested again on similar charges.
Arturo Gallegos, 56, was arrested early Saturday morning by Corpus Christi Police Officers on charges of driving while intoxicated after being stopped outside his home, where he backed into a parked car, according to an arrest report obtained by 6 Investigates.
The incident began around 1:11 a.m. on May 18 when officers responded to reports of a white GMC truck driving recklessly on Yorktown Blvd. Police began patrolling the area and observed that vehicle on Rodd Field Road, the police report states.
Officers observed it "swerving out of the lane and driving recklessly" before conducting a traffic stop outside his home, according to the report.
When officers made contact with Gallegos, they immediately noticed "an intoxicating odor coming from his breath, glassy eyes and talked with thick slurred speech," the arrest report states.
According to the police report, Gallegos told officers he had been at Politics. He admitted to consuming a couple of beers before he left to drive back home, the report states.
During field sobriety testing, officers noted that Gallegos "refused to talk or say anything more" and displayed signs of intoxication, according to the report. Police wrote that Gallegos showed "presentation of multiple alcoholic beverages presented to his system" and had "clearly lost all control of his normal use of his physical faculties."
Officers impounded Gallegos' vehicle and discovered a half-finished 1.75-liter bottle of whiskey and an empty alcoholic beverage in the center console, the report states. Gallegos was transported to Spohn Shoreline for a blood draw and then to the City Detention Center.
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Previous DWI Case
This latest arrest comes nearly two years after a previous DWI incident that sparked controversy and prompted policy changes at the Nueces County District Attorney's Office.
According to arrest records from May 29, 2023, Gallegos was first arrested for DWI when a CCPD officer observed his vehicle driving erratically on Yorktown Boulevard around 1:30 a.m.
During that arrest, Gallegos—then a 30-year peace officer and investigator for the District Attorney's Office—handed the arresting officer his district attorney identification while saying "I was hoping for some kind of professional courtesy."
Police records show Gallegos displayed multiple signs of intoxication and recorded a blood alcohol level of .15—nearly twice the legal limit of .08. Officers also discovered open whiskey bottles, one nearly empty, in his vehicle.
On October 3, 2023, just three days before then-District Attorney Mark Gonzalez stepped down from office to run for state Senate, Gallegos's charges were dismissed. The dismissal document, which bore Gonzalez's stamp, stated there was no positive test for alcohol—contradicting the original complaint that alleged a .15 blood alcohol test.
Current DA's Position
Nueces County District Attorney Jimmy Granberry told KRIS 6 News in 2024 that his office would have recused itself from prosecuting the 2023 case.
"We would have absolutely recused ourselves from this... you can't prosecute cases where your employees are the defendants," Granberry said.
The controversy surrounding the 2023 dismissal prompted immediate policy changes in the DA's office. Granberry discontinued the practice of using stamped signatures on legal documents, choosing instead to sign all dismissals and official documents personally.
"I'm not going to use them. I'm good at signing my name," Granberry said in 2024.
Employment History
Following the 2023 arrest, Gallegos resigned from the District Attorney's Office.
According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, Gallegos is currently a “non-paid reserve” officer for Nueces County Constable, Precinct 3.
KRIS 6 News has contacted the Nueces County Constable for Precinct 3 but has not received a response. Check back for updates.
