Harris County deputy arrested in Guadalupe County after hit-and-run probe

A Harris County Precinct 3 deputy constable was arrested near Seguin after a hit-and-run investigation on Interstate 10 led Guadalupe County authorities to Julio Valadez, who was charged with public intoxication and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

The arrest happened Monday night along I-10 East near the 617-mile marker, a stretch of road that carries steady traffic through Guadalupe County and connects the Houston region to Central Texas. According to local reporting, the sequence began when a Guadalupe County sheriff’s deputy was working a traffic stop in the area and heard radio traffic about a nearby hit-and-run. That deputy then encountered Valadez and allegedly smelled alcohol while observing him carrying a firearm.

Valadez has been placed on administrative leave without pay while Harris County Precinct 3 Internal Affairs investigates. Precinct 3 said he had been employed with the office since Sept. 16, 2024 and had no disciplinary history, details that sharpen public attention on how agencies handle sworn officers accused of breaking the same laws they enforce on everyone else.

Guadalupe County Sheriff Joshua Ray said his office treats all people the same under the law, regardless of profession or affiliation. His statement underscores the central question now facing Harris County residents: whether misconduct allegations involving a deputy are handled with the same seriousness, speed and transparency expected in civilian cases, especially when the allegations involve intoxication, a firearm and a suspected hit-and-run.

The case also puts a bright light on departmental standards for off-duty conduct and weapon possession. Harris County Precinct 3 has not publicly detailed its weapon-carry rules in connection with Valadez’s arrest, but the combination of charges will renew scrutiny of how the office disciplines deputies, protects public trust and responds when one of its own is accused of behavior that could endanger other drivers on a major corridor like Interstate 10.

Valadez’s arrest comes as Harris County law enforcement agencies continue to face close public examination over misconduct allegations. For Precinct 3, the question is no longer only what happened on I-10 East near the 617-mile marker, but whether its internal standards will be enforced as firmly for a deputy as they would be for anyone else.