Liberty police officer suspended, accused of unauthorized access to father of children in near-drowning case

A Liberty police officer has been suspended after accusations he accessed the father of three children who were pulled from a pond last week while he was in jail on unrelated charges.

The city of Liberty confirms Lt. Ramiro Lozano has been suspended pending an internal investigation.

The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office says Lozano accessed Domingo Quintana, who is the father of the three children who were pulled from the pond last week, without permission while he was in custody at the Liberty County Jail. The sheriff’s office says Lozano came up to the jail asking to speak to Quintana and he was granted access, but it is unclear who allowed him to speak with him.

Quintana was in custody at the jail last week on unrelated charges of cruelty to non-livestock animals. He was released on Wednesday after posting a $5,000 bond.

The sheriff’s office also confirms Lozano is the one who picked Quintana up once he bonded out of jail.

The sheriff’s office says the investigation has been turned over to the Texas Rangers.

What happened

On Sept. 30, investigators with the sheriff’s office say Quintana told 911 that his wife had given the children NyQuil before attempting to drown them.

• ORIGINAL STORY: Mother, three children pulled from pond in Liberty County

The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office received the call just before 6 a.m. Deputies arrived at the pond in the 9100 block of FM 1008 at 6:13 a.m. and found the three children and Quintana near the water.

The mother remained in the pond, Capt. David Meyers said.

Deputies said two children, a 6-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, were conscious and alert; they were transported by ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital.

An 11-year-old daughter and the 39-year-old mother were found unconscious and airlifted to Memorial Hermann in critical condition.

Last week, authorities said all the children had been medically released and were waiting to be discharged from the hospital. The mother was listed as in good condition and remained under the care of the hospital.

Meyers said there is no confirmation that alcohol was involved.

“Right now, we don’t have a specific focus on either parent,” he said. “We’re looking at both. We interviewed the father and will conduct forensic interviews with the children through Bridgehaven. Hopefully we’ll learn what the children tell us and can piece the puzzle together.”

Meyers said Quintana was interviewed by Texas Rangers.

“It was bizarre and breathtaking to see what deputies and investigators faced upon arriving at the scene,” Meyers said. “Any time children are involved, it’s heart‑wrenching for all of us in law enforcement. The best thing we can do now is pray for the children and their parents.”