Records show that officer Anthony Aldaco made several “unannounced” visits to the woman’s home while on and off duty.
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department has suspended Officer Anthony Aldaco for 45 days after an investigation found he made several “unannounced” trips to a woman’s home while she was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to department records.
On one of those visits, suspension records say, Aldaco offered to take her to buy her food when he locked the car, causing her to start feeling uncomfortable. Then he “moved closer to her” in what may have been an attempt “to lean in for a kiss.”
The visits happened over the course of several months last year, starting after he “emergency detained” the woman at San Antonio Behavior Healthcare Hospital when she was experiencing a mental health crisis.
On Nov. 5, 2024, the victim filed a complaint against Aldaco to the SAPD Internal affairs Unit for unsolicited on and off-duty visits to her home between March 17, 2024, and Nov. 4, 2024, disciplinary records say.
The victim alleges that a week or two after being discharged from the hospital, Aldaco came to her home “unannounced” to check on her. She reported that Aldaco appeared to be on duty as he was in uniform and driving an SAPD marked patrol vehicle.
Records show that Aldaco had completed a call for service about a mile away from the victim’s home before coming to check on her. But SAPD says he had no “police purpose” for contacting her as she was involved in the incident he had arrived to the area for.
Another two weeks later, the victim reporter Aldaco had again shown up at her home unannounced, saying he was there to “check up on her and see if she was okay,” records say. Again, Aldaco was reportedly in his police uniform and driving his SAPD patrol unit.
SAPD said this time, he was not assigned to any calls in the area and again had no “police purpose” for being there.
“Officer Aldaco devoted portions of his on-duty time to activities that didn’t relate to his duty assignment when he contacted [the victim] at her residence,” SAPD suspension records state.
The victim alleges that on May 7, 2024, Aldaco showed up and appeared to be off duty as he was in “civilian clothes and driving what he described to her as a rental car.”
Aldaco allegedly offered to take the victim to pick up food. She stated that she agreed to go with Aldaco as she was “vulnerable” and wanted someone to talk to.
However, the victim stated that after Aldaco took her through a McDonald’s drive-thru, he allegedly parked the car at Palo Alto Park, locked the doors and unbuckled his seatbelt. The victim reported this made her uncomfortable “and caused her to start to devise an escape plan.”
The victim said Aldaco didn’t touch her, but she felt as if he was leaning in for a kiss when he moved closer to her.
After she didn’t show any interest, records say, Aldaco drove her back home.
“Officer Aldaco, while off duty and absent of any job-related reason for have doing so, failed to used sound judgement when he contacted [the victim] whom he knew only from a prior call for service,” SAPD said.
The victim further alleged that Aldaco, who was off-duty at the time, returned to her house again on Nov. 4 and contacted her father, who told him the victim wasn’t home.
An administrative investigation of Aldaco’s unit activity records showed that he was in the area of the victim’s home and didn’t immediately return to service upon completion of 16 separate calls.
The investigation also showed that Aldaco was present or near the victim’s residence while on duty five separate occasions, records say—all while failing to record with his body camera.
Aldaco’s 45-day suspension began on March 28 and will end May 11.