Luis Ontiveros is a member of the US National Guard stationed in Alpine, Texas. On November 12, Ontiveros was arrested and charged with sexual assault. Here’s what you need to know:
Ontiveros Allegedly Assaulted His Own Partner While ‘Severely Intoxicated’
The Daily Beast first reported on Ontiveros’s arrest. Shortly after the Daily Beast started asking questions, the Alpine Police Department confirmed the arrest in a Facebook post. That Facebook post confirmed that Ontiveros, a 30-year-old member of the National Guard, was arrested on Monday afternoon in a location 2000 block of East Hwy 90 in Alpine, Texas.
The police department’s Facebook post just says that Ontiveros had allegedly assaulted a “female.” But the Daily Beast says that the police also confirmed that Ontiveros actually assaulted his own partner. The outlet said that Ontiveros’s partner, a woman, called authorities and said she was “inappropriately” touched by Ontiveros. She apparently also told them that Ontiveros was “severely intoxicated” at the time.
Ontiveros Was Stationed in West Texas Ahead of the ‘Caravan of Migrants’ Arrival
The Alpine Police Department confirmed that Ontiveros, a 30 year old member of the National Guard, was stationed in the West Texas town, about 80 miles from the border with Mexico. The department said that the investigation would eventually be handed over the the National Guard.
The Trump administration has said it will send thousands of additional troops to the southern border in preparation for the so-called Caravan of Migrants, a group of would-be immigrants coming from Honduras towards the United States. The National Guards beefed up their presence at and near the southern border earlier this year. Ontiveros seems to be part of that beefed up presence.
Earlier this week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced plans to close lanes at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border crossings to prepare for the arrival of “thousands of people migrating in a caravan” toward the US-Mexico border. The agency also said that personnel from the Department of Defense were at the border to install concertina wire and to erect barriers.
Ontiveros Grew Up in El Paso & Studied at the University of Texas
Ontiveros’s Facebook page is full of pictures of him, often in uniform, next to a smiling young woman. Out of respect for her, and for her privacy, Heavy isn’t running any of those pictures.
Ontiveros’s social media says that he went to Bowie High School in El Paso, Texas. He went on to study at the University of Texas at El Paso. His Facebook page says that he worked for the “United States Army.”
The Alpine Police Department says that Ontiveros is a member of the National Guard and that he was arrested on November 12 after a report of possible sexual assault. The Daily Beast, which first reported the story, says that Ontiveros allegedly assaulted his own partner. The outlet says that she called police and claimed that Ontiveros had inappropriately touched her, apparently while he was severely intoxicated.