12 Oct Laredo Man Accused of Striking Female Officer Faces Felony Assault Charge

Laredo police arrested a 29-year-old man early Saturday after a female officer was struck in the face during an arrest downtown, police said.

Fernando Cabrera is charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer, a first-degree felony. If convicted, he faces five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Officers working a downtown bar detail around 12:30 a.m. saw a man pounding on store windows, nearly breaking them, police said. He ran when they approached. Officers caught up with him near Lincoln Street and Flores Avenue, where police said he fought with them and hit an officer in the face, making her bleed.

Other officers got him under control and detained him. The injured officer was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition. Two other officers had minor injuries.

Cabrera also faces four lesser charges: evading arrest on foot and resisting arrest, both Class A misdemeanors; failure to identify, a Class B misdemeanor; and public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor. The Class A counts each carry up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine, the Class B count up to 180 days and a $2,000 fine, and the Class C count a fine of up to $500 only.

As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Cabrera was still in custody with no bond set.

The Laredo Morning Times reported that Cabrera has 13 prior arrests from 2015 through 2025. Two were for assault of a public servant, one by the Webb County Sheriff’s Office in 2015 and one by El Cenizo police in 2017. Others include burglary of a habitation, theft, marijuana possession, DWI and evading arrest. How those cases ended wasn’t reported.

The charges are accusations, and Cabrera is presumed innocent unless convicted.