San Luis officials dispute allegations at press conference

UPDATE

San Luis officials held a press conference Wednesday to set the record straight about allegations of corruption made by a San Luis mayoral candidate.

Mayor Gerardo Sanchez made it clear that he has nothing to hide.

David Lara, San Luis mayoral candidate, filed two different complaints to the San Luis Police Department.

Lara claimed that the police were hindering the investigation, according to Chief Richard Jessup with the San Luis Police Department.

San Luis Police said they are not.

They have opened an internal and criminal investigation based on the complaints and both are in the hands of other law enforcement agencies.

Lara also claimed that there was a meeting held inside a police officer’s home.

He said the Mayor asked an officer during that meeting to avoid punishing another officer.

Sanchez claimed that it was not an official meeting. It was a family gathering.

He did admit that he spoke about the officer Lara mentioned in the complaint but only about his health.

“Yes, he was mentioned. The thing is when I mentioned it I saw him. I saw him once and I said, ‘he looks sick.’ He really does. I can do that because I worry about my police officers. I worry about my fire,” said Sanchez.

Lara is claiming that the officer is misusing the Family Medical Leave Act.

Mayor Sanchez said that it is Lara’s right to present claims to police if he thinks he is doing something illegal, but he maintained he was not.

He also claimed that Lara and another candidate threatened him.

“They threatened me. They wanted me not to run for re-election because they said they were going to tear me up in pieces and they were going to destroy me,” said Sanchez.

Sanchez said that this morning his wife found a headless dove in front of their home this morning and some of his campaign signs have been destroyed.

Mayor Sanchez added the accusations only fuel him to work harder.

ORIGINAL STORY

San Luis officials will hold a press conference Wednesday to set the record straight about allegations of corruption made by a San Luis mayoral candidate.

This is after David Lara, a San Luis mayoral candidate, filed his second complaint to the San Luis Police Department in July.

The criminal complaint alleged Mayor Gerardo Sanchez interfered with a police investigation.

It details a meeting that occurred between three San Luis police officers and Sanchez on an unknown date at one of the officers’ residence.

Lara alleged that Sanchez made a request to one of the officers to see if consequences could be avoided for another officer who Lara has accused of misusing the Family Medical Leave Act to avoid criminal prosecution.

The press conference will begin at 5 p.m. at the San Luis City Hall.

Stay with News 11 as this is a developing story.