SEARCH WARRANT SERVED ON LOCAL GAME ROOM

Corpus Christi Police Department

CORPUS CHRISTI - (News Release) Detectives with the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Narcotics and Vice Investigations Division served a search warrant on March 23rd at a game room on the 4800 block of South Alameda Street, culminating with the arrests of three men and a woman on illegal gambling charges. Responding to a tip of illegal gambling taking place inside the Sweetwater Club, 4855 S. Alameda Street Suite 109, Detectives initiated an investigation which ultimately established probable cause to obtain a search warrant for the premises from the 319th District Court. As a result of the search, officers arrested 21-year-old Madysin Kirkpatrick-Tazby, 26-year-old Eden Pena, 35-year-old Even Pena, and 34-year-old Luis Sandoval. All four were charged with Gambling Promotion, Keeping a Gambling Place, and Possession of a Gambling Device. All three charges are class A misdemeanors under Texas law, punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a $4,000 fine. The three men were additionally charged with Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon after officers discovered they were all armed with handguns during the commission of another crime. Fourteen patrons of the game room were issued warning citations for gambling and released at the scene. During the search, Detectives seized gambling equipment, two vehicles, cash, and other evidence of illegal gambling.

NVID Detectives were assisted in the operation by officers with the CCPD Operations Division and the Organized Crime Unit, as well prosecutors with the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office, and investigators with the State of Texas Comptroller’s Office, which regulates coin operated machines.

The Corpus Christi Police Department continues to collaborate with our local state and federal partners to investigate and combat illegal gambling. Investigators will continue to enforce all Texas gambling laws, which will help accomplish our mission to reduce crime, reduce the fear of crime and to improve the quality of life in our community.