CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In March, former Corpus Christi doctor Jaime Sandoval pleaded guilty to groping a female patient in 2017.
Now, just four months later, he is facing new allegations.
Court documents reveal that Sandoval is charged with assault by offensive contact in connection with a June 18th incident.
He removed his court-ordered GPS ankle monitor and disappeared two days later.
One of Sandoval's victims came forward to share her story and frustrations regarding what she calls a significant disservice to crime victims.
The emotional healing for Sandoval's former patient should have started when her longtime doctor pleaded guilty and admitted to groping her breasts during a routine appointment.
"Why me? He was my doctor since I was seventeen years old," she said.
That woman, who asked that KRIS 6 News not reveal her identity, said she was robbed of closure and the opportunity to face her abuser in court.
According to that woman, the Nueces County District Attorney's office never informed her of Sandoval's plea deal. Instead, she heard about it through local news coverage.
"I'm very disappointed and upset with the way my case was handled," she said. "I feel that the D.A.'s office did a huge disservice, not just to me, but to other victims as well and it's hurtful. It's disheartening."
Failure to provide adequate service for victims is something the D.A. acknowledged during a recent budget presentation to the Nueces County Commissioners Court.
Mark Gonzales suggested an ideal solution: more money, more employees and higher salaries for employees in his office.
But for this victim who said she had navigated the legal process alone, a phone call could have sufficed.
"Anything. I would've appreciated anything," she said. "Instead, I got nothing."
The emotional trauma resurfaced just months later while watching the local news when she learned of new accusations of Sandoval groping another woman. He is now a second-time fugitive, and his former patient believes he poses a legitimate threat to society.
"You know as far as him slipping his ankle monitor, an innocent person wouldn't do any of what he's done," she said. "He's sick, and he needs to be in prison."
"You know as far as him slipping his ankle monitor, an innocent person wouldn't do any of what he's done," she said. "He's sick, and he needs to be in prison."
For nearly a year, KRIS 6 News has answered phone calls and messages from local crime victims who say they have been disregarded by the Nueces County District Attorney's office. Subsequently, we have reported on various communication issues between the D.A.'s office and victims in Nueces County.
We contacted the Victims Assistance Coordinator, employed by the D.A.'s office, for an interview regarding this story. She then directed our questions to Assistant District Attorney Matt Manning. We also contacted Manning for comment, but he was unavailable Thursday.
