by | Published
DEL RIO, Texas — A 24-year-old man faces multiple felony charges after police responding to a child welfare call uncovered allegations of abuse and unlawful restraint at a residence, authorities said.
Officers with the Del Rio Police Department were dispatched around 4:36 p.m. on April 8, 2026, to the 400 block of West 8th Street regarding a 5-year-old child reported to have facial injuries. Upon arrival, the suspect, identified as Francisco Javier Garza, initially told officers the child was not at the home and provided conflicting information about her location.
Police later located the child inside the residence and observed visible injuries to her face.
While officers were on scene, they received an emergency call reporting a disturbance at the same location involving a woman being threatened with a handgun and held against her will. Officers detained Garza and located an adult female inside the residence, who reported she had been restrained there since the previous day. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Val Verde Regional Medical Center for evaluation.
The Del Rio Police Department Criminal Investigation Division assisted in the investigation.
Garza was arrested and charged with unlawful restraint exposing a person to serious bodily injury, injury to a child, and assault of a family or household member by impeding breath.
Authorities said Garza became combative while in custody and struck an officer in the face, resulting in an additional charge of assault on a public servant.
He was transported to the GEO Correctional Facility pending magistration.
