In this edition of Spriester Sessions, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward talked about the people he’ll miss, the biggest challenges the county faces, and how he wants to be remembered.

A San Antonio man was sentenced to life in prison Monday in Atascosa County for a fatal shooting in 2023.

The stepfather and mother charged in connection with the death of 12-year-old Miranda Sipps have bonded out of jail, the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office said.

The 12-year-old Miranda Sipps was pronounced dead on Monday, and her mother and stepfather are charged in connection with her death, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities with the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home where a 12-year-old girl was injured at least three times in the months before the girl died, according to records released to KSAT.

Two parents were arrested for injury to a child by omission after ACSO Investigators said the parents failed to provide their daughter with the medical attention she needed.

Two Atascosa County parents were charged in connection with the death of their 12-year-old daughter, according to the sheriff’s office.

Rosendo Jesus Montoya, now 28, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to capital murder of multiple persons.

A man was arrested in Atascosa County over the weekend after he was caught with more than 40 pieces of stolen mail and more than 20 pieces of fraudulently obtained credit cards, according to the sheriff.

Two immigrants were detained and six other people escaped after a stolen pickup led law enforcement on a chase through Atascosa and Bexar counties.

An 18-year-old man was arrested for shooting and killing a 21-year-old man in Atascosa County last month, according to the sheriff.

Interstate 37 in Atascosa County is shut down Friday after law enforcement officers shot and killed a murder suspect from Corpus Christi, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said.

A 27-year-old man is behind bars after a double homicide involving a pair of roommates, which was followed by an intentional fire, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.

A man was taken into custody after leading multiple agencies in a manhunt in Atascosa County, according to officials.

Atascosa County sheriff’s deputies arrested two brothers during a drug bust that started as an investigation into cannabis THC products and other drugs making their way into a Poteet ISD campus, according to Sheriff David Soward.

A former Atascosa County sheriff has passed away after a lengthy illness, according to Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward.

A San Antonio man has been charged after human remains were found in a burn pit behind a home in Atascosa County, according to the sheriff’s office.

Law enforcement officers arrested a 28-year-old man for killing his parents in Leming following an hours-long search and chase across multiple county lines, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.

A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the death of a man whose body was found on the side of the road in Atascosa County.

Rodney Wigley, 37, a deputy with ACSO since February of this year, was arrested in Wilson County.

A 47-year-old Poteet man who admitted to being on an “extended methamphetamine binge” led law enforcement officers on a wild chain of events that finally ended in his arrest.

Forty-two fires occurred between April 21 and July 26 and stretch across a 25-mile radius around the county. The majority are just grass and brush fires, but a handful have been by homes and structures.

Two teens with a truckload of migrants were arrested for human smuggling following a chase in Atascosa County on Monday morning, according to the sheriff.

Murder suspect Luis Daniel Rodriguez is now in custody, according to Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward.

Poteet High School band director Joe Rodriguez was arrested Thursday on two child sex crime charges, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said.

A homicide investigation is underway in northern Atascosa County after officials said a teen was fatally shot overnight. Two other teens were arrested in connection to his death, according to Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward.

As chiefs and sheriffs look to fill their ranks, they face stiff competition from other departments. The head of a statewide law enforcement union says Texas is undergoing a shortage of uniformed officers, which he largely attributes to the job becoming less prestigious.

Two men are now in custody in connection with a theft ring operation in Atascosa County, according to Sheriff David Soward.

A man is facing a slew of charges after leading police on a chase in Atascosa County on Monday.

A San Antonio man was arrested Saturday for allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars in cigarettes at a Charlotte Valero store, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.

ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas – An Atascosa County man training in San Antonio to become a police officer faces multiple felony child pornography charges after being taken into custody late last week, Sheriff David Soward confirmed Thursday. Armando Vidales Jr., 23, faces two counts of possession with intent to promote child pornography, both of which are 2nd-degree felonies, Soward said. Vidales was later taken into custody at a San Antonio law enforcement academy. Vidales was booked into the Atascosa County jail and his bonds were set at $160,000 total. AdA spokeswoman for the Texas Attorney General’s Office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday about the case.

SAN ANTONIO – A 46-year-old man led law enforcement officers on a chase in Atascosa and Bexar counties Tuesday morning before he was shot near an elementary school, officials said. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, said Deputy Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. As the pickup approached Interstate 37 and Highway 97, the driver shot at officers, Soward said. None of the law enforcement officers were injured. Allen will remain under lockdown for several more hours as law enforcement process the scene.

POTEET, Texas – A 26-year-old Poteet man went on a crime spree in Atascosa County that ended when he surrendered to more than 30 law enforcement officers waiting for him outside of a barn he was holed up in, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said. Soward said the crime spree started Monday night when sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a burglary north of Poteet. “Poteet PD lost sight of the truck and it was later spotted by sheriff’s deputies on FM 1470 northeast of Poteet,” Soward said. However, the suspect escaped on foot, Soward said. Pleasanton Police will be filing charges regarding the theft of the 2019 Ram truck, Soward said.

ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas – The Poteet Independent School District has suspended extracurricular activities after what the superintendent said was a “breach” of protocols that involved a photo session with a county official and senior players of the football team and cheerleading squad. Superintendent Charles Camarillo posted a letter on Facebook saying the photo session with the county official was arranged by a school official who was in attendance and later tested positive for COVID-19. KSAT confirmed the county official who took the photos was Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward. Camarillo said a breach of protocols occurred when the county official took photos without a mask and added the district has a strict closed practice policy. RELATED: Pleasanton ISD suspends football practices after positive COVID-19 testThe letter said extracurricular activities were suspended for this week out of an abundance of caution.

POTEET, Texas – A 37-year-old man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after leading several law enforcement agencies on a chase through Atascosa County, Sheriff David Soward said. Poteet police terminated the pursuit, but about 30 minutes later, an Atascosa County sheriff’s deputy saw Rodriguez’s vehicle speeding in Jourdanton, Soward said. Man arrested in Atascosa County after chase, Photo: Jack Garcia (KSAT)Moments later, Texas Department of Publis Safety troopers began chasing Rodriguez’s vehicle on Highway 97 between Jourdanton and Pleasanton, Soward said. Rodriguez led troopers back to Jourdanton, Pleasanton and then towards Poteet on FM 476. He was booked into the Atascosa County Jail on charges of evading arrest and reckless driving.

ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas – A routine traffic stop led to the arrest of a Louisiana man for smuggling three undocumented, illegal immigrants, according to Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward. Officials say Roy Louis Schmidt, of New Orleans, concealed the immigrants in the back seat of his Ford pickup truck Saturday. A routine traffic stop yesterday in Jourdanton by Deputy Sheriff Shane Billings resulted in the arrest of a Louisiana... Posted by Sheriff David Soward, Atascosa County, Texas on Sunday, February 16, 2020The undocumented immigrants were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol, according to authorities. Border Patrol declined to charge Schmidt federally; however, deputies say he is facing charges in state court.

ATASCOSA COUNTY – An Atascosa County jailer was arrested on felony charges less than two months after she started there, according to the sheriff. I... Posted by Sheriff David Soward, Atascosa County, Texas on Sunday, January 19, 2020Soward said deputies found methamphetamine in a jail cell a week prior to Howard’s arrest. Surveillance images allegedly show Howard delivering “an item” to an inmate and taking a payment in return, according to the news release. Bexar County Jail inmate to face additional charges after attacking inmate, officials sayHoward was terminated after she was arrested. It’s part of my mission statement, especially incidents involving narcotics and the introduction of contraband into the jail,” Soward said in the news release.

Sheriff launches campaign to have parole denied for 'Atascosa Ambush' convictPublished: January 9, 2020, 6:44 pmAtascosa County Sheriff David Soward has launched a campaign aimed at denying parole for an accomplice in the killing three law enforcement officers during an ambush in October 1999.