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Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Son of Texas Sheriff Who Called Immigrants ‘Drunks’ Arrested for Indecent Exposure

The son of a Texas sheriff was arrested Saturday for indecent exposure, two days after his father controversially described some immigrants and repeat offenders in his jail as “drunks” who will “run over your children and my children” during a White House briefing.

FORT WORTH, Texas (CN) – The son of a Texas sheriff was arrested Saturday for indecent exposure, two days after his father controversially described some immigrants and repeat offenders in his jail as “drunks” who will “run over your children and my children” during a White House briefing.

Sergei Waybourn, 24, was arrested by Arlington police near AT&T Stadium. This is his second known arrest, as he was accused of criminal trespass in Arlington two years ago. He is being held on $500 bond.

His father, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, made national headlines Thursday when he spoke at a White House press conference with Matthew Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The briefing criticized a ruling by U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte in Los Angeles on Sept. 28 that permanently enjoins ICE from issuing detainers for local authorities to hold aliens eligible for deportation based on unreliable databases. The plaintiffs in that case successfully argued that over two million U.S. citizens were held illegally due to the flawed databases since 2008.

Waybourn warned the ruling will result in dangerous criminals being released onto the streets.

“This morning, we had 4,200 inmates. Out of that, seven percent were illegal aliens,” Waybourn said Thursday. “They are being held for murder, sexual assault of children – there’s about 70 of them – there are robbers, kidnappers and arsonists and DWI … we know 72 percent of them are repeat offenders. If we have to turn them loose, they are coming back to your neighborhood and my neighborhood. These drunks will run over your children and run over my children. If that happens, then I know that you will want and I would want for you the full force of the law.”

Waybourn said after his son’s arrest that his family is “deeply saddened” by Sergei’s choices.

"It has been many years since he disassociated from our family,” he said in a written statement Saturday. “We, along with many family members have made efforts over the years to help him - all to no avail. It is always sad when drugs take control of a person’s life. His choices and actions have led to this situation.”

Domingo Garcia, a Dallas attorney and national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, called on Waybourn to resign and apologize immediately for his “bigoted” comments.

“It is appalling that a man with a badge and gun like Sheriff Waybourn would make such ignorant and twisted racist statements influenced by his far right-wing ideology,” Garcia said Thursday.

Waybourn has deflected the criticism since his comments, insisting they were taken out of context. He refuses to resign.

“Sheriff Waybourn was not referring to all legal or illegal immigrants when making his comments about DWI/DWI repeat offenders,” his office said in a statement Thursday. “He was speaking toward the charges of DWI and DWI repeat offender in the context of illegal immigration.”

Follow @davejourno
Categories / Criminal, Government, Politics

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