AFTER F.D. SHAKEUP, CITY BRACES FOR D.A. PROBE FINDINGS

By Juan Montoya
Capt. Margarito Gracia, the man terminated on the spot by former Brownsville Fire Department Chief Carlos Elizondo, has been reinstated to his position, a rank higher than the one currently held by Elizondo following his demotion.

After his demotion, Elizondo returned to being a F.D. lieutenant.

Department sources say that Capt. Gracia was back at his position this morning. He was called by Elizondo when the former chief found out that he and Brownsville Firefighters Association Local #970 President Jorge Lerma had filed a criminal complaint with the Brownsville Police Department charging Elizondo with withdrawing more than $8,000 from the union's Political Action Committee bank account from ATM machines without PAC authorization.

Gracia is the vice president of the association.

Meanwhile, Elizondo's tenure is being scrutinized by Cameron County District Attorney's investigators who have been making queries about the former chief's actions vis-a-vis an ambulance company. Several witnesses have been interviewed who have said that at Elizondo's instigation, some patients on other private ambulance companies were transferred to InterCity Ambulance when they were coming into the city.

We have heard that DA investigators know of at least three such transfers, one of them involving a veteran who did not have Medicaid coverage and is now having to pay from his own pocket, a quadriplegic boy and others. One reportedly involved a patient who died after the transfer.

What's more, it is suspected that not only did the chief play a role in some of these transfers, but that City Manager Charlie Cabler had been made aware of them when DA investigators interviewed him. City sources say that Cabler did not tell the city commissioners about the reports for two weeks until he was confronted – in front of Mayor Tony Martinez –  by other city commissioners.

Sources also say that despite the recommendation from city legal counsel that Elizondo be suspended without pay pending investigation of the theft charge and other findings in the department audit, Cabler refused to do it, choosing instead to demote him and send him back on the force.

There are even reports circulating that someone made a city radio available to the operators of InterCity so that they could monitor the calls for service. The full details have not been made public, either by the city or the DA's Office, but some are saying that Jarred Sheldon, who Cabler named interim fire chief, might have also been involved. Sheldon was one of two assistant chiefs under Elizondo. The other, Ernie Estrada, has also returned to his previous position as basic firefighter.

The new commissioners got commission approval to form audit, budget and agenda committees. The first audit made by the committee was made on the Fire Department operations.

"All the findings were made available to the DA," said a city source. "Commissioners were angry that Cabler had known all about the findings and the transfer reports but allowed the operations of the department to continue."

"This is far from over," said the source. "The DA's got everything."