MISTRIAL FOR ONE CADRIEL; DA STILL LOOKING FOR ROBERT CADRIEL, COUSIN OF NORMA HERNANDEZ, WIFE OF COMMISSIONER ERNIE HERNANDEZ

By Juan Montoya

No one will confirm nor deny, but sources close to this morning's mistrial of Aroldo H. Cadriel charged in the  in the 2012 slaying of 20-year-old former Harlingen High School South student Brisna Mireles, say that visiting Judge Marisela Saldaña had no option but to declare it because of problems with a juror.

And although no one would specify the problem with the juror, sources say that he or she was heard speaking out about the case against Cardriel as if their mind was already made up before any of the evidence had been heard in court. 

Both Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz and defense attorney Nat C. Perez urged the judge to declare the mistrial and dismiss the jury.

However, Saenz said that the charges against Cadriel will continue at a trial to be scheduled at a later date.

Cadriel has been held on a $1 million bond since April at the

Carrizales-Rucker Detention Center to where he was returned after the mistrial was declared.

A grand jury returned an indictment against Cadriel, 66, of Brownsville, charging him with shooting Mireles on March 31, 2012, and with discharging a firearm at or in her direction, causing her death. An autopsy report showed Mireles was shot five times.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Cadriel is the cousin of Norma Hernandez, wife of Pct. 2 county commissioner Ernie Hernandez. This is not the first time his activities have come to the attention of the law. 

In cases dating back to 1993, local blogger Jim Barton states in his Mean Mister Brownsville blog that:

"Aroldo Humberto Cadriel, 46, was arrested March 11, 1993 for allegedly making 'offensive contact' with a 14-year-old girl on March 10, 1993 at Cummings Middle School. Cadriel said he did not know why a student would make up a story about him. He said Cummings does not have a reputation for being the home of mild-mannered students.

'Anybody who's aware about Cummings knows that Cummings has some pretty aggressive students,' he said.

The 14-year-old student said she was shocked when Cadriel touched her. 'When he grabbed me I asked him, `Why are you doing that?' He said, `I want some attention.'
'I'll be glad to challenge her in court,' Cadriel said. 

Court records show that Cadriel has been charged three times with telephone harassment. A 1988 complaint charged Cadriel with making obscene phone calls to a woman. The judge ruled that the complaint was vague and overly broad and dismissed the case. The other two cases, from 1988 and 1989, also were dismissed."

In another case relating to the Cadriel family, Roberto Cadriel, brother of Norma Hernandez, has been sought by the local District Attorney's office to testify before a grand jury into the investigation of his alleged illegal hiring by the county after someone took the civil service exam for him and he was given a job as a non-commissioned security guard at one of the county's international bridges.

DA investigators were unable to serve Roberto Cadriel with the subpoena to testify about the hiring. Robert Lopez, the interim head of the county's Human Resources office resigned in the wake of the hiring revelations because of "personal reasons."

"We're interested in talking to Robert," said DA Saenz. "If anyone can lead us to him. we'll be glad to talk to them."

Raul Salazar, an administrative assistant to Ernie Hernandez, was indicted by  a grand jury with having falsified a government document in the case.

Hernandez said that the first time he had heard about his brother-in-law's hiring troubles was when he read the online coverage of the local newspaper. He denied knowing anything about the hiring or directing his assistant to help Cadriel get hired by the county.