A 27-year-old man was arrested when he reportedly struck a police officer in the face three times and spit on the same officer three times after the man assaulted his mother.
Israel James Salinas was charged with harassment of a public servant, a third-degree felony, assaulting a public servant, a third-degree felony, resisting arrest, search of transport, a class A misdemeanor, and assault (family violence), a class C misdemeanor.
The incident started around 11:35 a.m. Saturday in the 4600 block of Valleybrook Lane, a series of Odessa Police Department probable cause affidavits detail.
OPD Ofc. Bobby Pietropollo was reportedly dispatched to the listed location after a request for an officer call. The complainant, identified as Christina Salinas, stated that her son Israel Salinas had been in an argument. That argument escalated when Israel Salinas aggressively grabbed his mother by her right arm without her consent.
Christina Salinas stated she was in fear for her and her family’s safety and that her son’s aggression toward her and the family had been steadily growing, the affidavit detailed.
Israel Salinas reportedly attempted to prevent officer Pietropollo from arresting him by assaulting the officer. Pietropollo was struck three times in the face.
Pietropollo was also spit on three times by Salinas, the affidavit detailed. Salinas intentionally spit on Pietropollo as he leaned past other officers to spit on him.
Salinas was arrested, charged and transported to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center. He has three bonds totaling $31,500 and was still in custody as of Monday afternoon, jail records show.
