Aaron Martinez
El Paso Times, Texas
EL PASO — As the community deals with the death of an El Paso deputy, scammers are already attempting to use the tragic situation to their advantage.
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office officials are warning the public about phone call scams claiming to be raising money for Deputy Peter Herrera’s family.
Herrera, 35, died Sunday after he was shot several times during a traffic stop Friday in San Elizario.
According to sheriff’s officials, scammers are calling community members asking for donations in the form of gift cards to benefit Herrera’s family.
These calls are not endorsed or in any way related to the Herrera family, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office nor the El Paso County Sheriff’s Officers Association.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to make the public aware that representatives of the Sheriff’s Office will not solicit donations over the phone much less in the form of gift cards,” officials said.
There are only two official donation campaigns for Herrera’s family.
The first one, Pete Herrera’s Fundraiser on Facebook, was created by Deputy Adrian Gonzales on behalf of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. This account has raised more than $47,000 for Herrera’s family.
The second is the “#4928 - EPCSOA Brother in Need” campaign by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Officers Association on GoFundMe. This account has raised more than $23,000.
Correspondence can be mailed to: Attn: Community Services Section, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, 3850 Justice Drive, El Paso, Texas, 79938.
“On behalf of Sheriff (Richard) Wiles and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, we want to thank EVERYONE for their prayers and continued support for Deputy Herrera, his wife, family, friends, and colleagues,” officials said in a news release.
Facundo Chavez, 27, was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting.
Chavez is facing one count of capital murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
He is also facing several other charges involving previous criminal cases filed against him.
Chavez remains in El Paso County Jail on a bond of more than $1.5 million.
Herrera had worked with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office for 11 years. He first worked as a detention officer and then as a deputy since 2013, officials said..
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