San Antonio Man Still Faces Legal Nightmares following Wrongful Arrest for 2020 Hit-and-Run Crash

San Antonio resident Eduardo Lopez is still mired in seemingly never-ending legal battles following his wrongful arrest over a 2020 hit-and-run crash.

Wrongful Arrest for a Crime He Did Not Commit

In December of 2020, Lopez was arrested after investigators mistakenly identified him as the suspect of a hit-and-run crash that led to damage and injuries. Security footage captured the moment when officers informed a stunned Lopez about his pending charges in his own front yard.

Despite emphatically telling the officers, “That’s not me. I don’t crash and run,” Lopez was taken into custody. He ended up draining his savings account paying bail for the two felony charges held against him. However, the case rapidly disintegrated when it was discovered that Lopez did not even own a black truck, the vehicle involved in the crash, and was not at the scene at the time of the incident. It turned out the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) had indeed arrested the wrong man.

Aftermath and Continued Legal Woes

Although Lopez was cleared of all charges related to the crash, his legal troubles did not end there. He became the target of a lawsuit filed by a law firm on behalf of an auto insurance company. Despite explaining his wrongful arrest and subsequent exoneration, a default judgment was issued against Lopez for failing to respond to the suit, amounting to over $10,000.

The monetary judgment did not end there. The attorney who filed the suit added the threat of potential sanctions if Lopez failed to pay the amount. The actions ranged from suspending Lopez’s driver’s license and preventing him from taking out a loan, to placing a lien on any property sale.

From Arresting Agency to Advocate

The effects of the legal entanglement continued to tarnish Lopez’s life and reputation, most notably when he was denied a security clearance to attend his son’s Air Force graduation due to the lingering felony charges on his record. He reached out to SAPD for help and received it in the form of official letters acknowledging his wrongful arrest and implying his innocence.

The letters from the SAPD led Lopez to begin seeking expungement of the charges from his record. However, the journey is still far from over for Lopez, whose life has become a whirlwind of legal predicaments ever since his wrongful arrest. He continues to fight not only for justice but also for his rightful place in society, free from the smears brought on by a crime he had no part in.