Full Notification

DWI charges against 22 people are among the results of a Harris County Sheriff’s Office anti-DWI initiative during the three-day Memorial Day weekend a few days after a drunk driver caused the death of an HCSO sergeant.

The crackdown also led to one charge of driving while under the influence of drugs, six charges of possession of a controlled substance, two charges of evading arrest, 71 traffic citations, the serving of 16 criminal warrants and the seizure of a vehicle, 18 grams of cocaine and $3,000 in cash.

Regrettably, two traffic fatalities related to drunk driving took place in the unincorporated areas of the county and are under investigation by deputies.

Another alcohol-related crash led to severe injuries to a passenger now being treated in an intensive care unit Ben Taub Hospital.

The passenger was in a vehicle driven by HCSO part-time detention officer Jonathan J. Carona, 19. Carona’s SUV collided with another vehicle Sunday morning at Aldine Bender Road and Hardy Road. Carona and the other driver told deputies they had been drinking alcohol. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Charges are pending in that incident. Carona, who started part-time work at the Harris County jail in mid-January, has been suspended while his employment status is reviewed.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Dwayne Polk was killed in a crash in northwest Houston early on May 19, adding a tragic touch to the Memorial Day weekend initiative against drunk driving that would have been launched regardless. The initiative involved several deputies assigned specifically to look for signs of drunk driving.

At a news conference May 24 at the intersection where Sgt. Polk lost his life, Sheriff Adrian Garcia warned people who drink and drive.

“We hope you cry when you realize you are under arrest as families cry when they hear the news of their loved one being stolen from them because of a drunk driver like some of you,” he said. “All of this can be avoided if you just recognize that driving is privilege, not a right, and drunk driving is not. Drunk driving is against the law and we’re here to demonstrate to you that we are ready to bring down the full measure of the law if you decide to break the law. Help us keep other families from being destroyed. Help us prevent that type of tragedy this weekend and every single day.”

Today the sheriff said the charges stemming from the anti-DWI initiative showed that deputies will continue to back up his words with enforcement actions.

“I need everyone to get the message, including Sheriff’s Office employees,” Sheriff Garcia said. “In fact I expect our employees to set an example to the public, especially in the shadow of the tragedy of Sgt. Polk’s death. So I am deeply disappointed that one of our part-time employees is the subject of a DWI investigation.”

Sheriff’s reserve deputies patrolled waterways during the holiday break to emphasize that intoxicated boating is just as serious a crime. No charges resulted, however.

“I thank the news media and the public for getting out the message that drunk boating is just as dangerous as drunk driving. The media are our partners in making roadways and neighborhoods safer,” the sheriff said. “But we still have lots of work to do to make Harris County safe from the horrible mix of alcohol and driving.”