SAN ANTONIO – A DART warrant was issued Tuesday at a troubled motel that has generated thousands of emergency calls over the past year, including reports of assaults, sexual assaults, fights, and disturbances.
A DART warrant is an administrative warrant issued by the City Attorney’s Office to address chronic nuisance properties with repeated violations of city ordinances.
According to the San Antonio Police Department, this motel near Loop 410 and Rittiman has long operated outside city rules, including allegedly allowing extended stays that stretch for months, a violation for this type of hotel.
During Tuesday’s operation, officers discovered several rooms with exterior locks that appeared to be modified to keep people inside. Authorities say that is often a red flag for human trafficking.
Officers went room to room throughout the morning. In some cases, they broke windows and deployed drones when they believed people might be hiding inside.
Several people were detained during the operation, including individuals found to have outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants. Others are being questioned to determine whether they were involved in criminal activity or may be victims.
Authorities did not have an exact count of detainees but said “multiple people” were in custody or being interviewed. The City Attorney’s Office will now work with the property owner to address the violations uncovered during the inspection.
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Emergency service call records show that the motel is the subject of nearly routine visits from law enforcement, with 24 calls for either EMS or police so far in the month of November, with calls coming in as frequently as six a day.