A former Katy Police Department officer faces two felony charges after internal affairs documents show he used the department's Flock license plate reader system 2,386 times over 11 months to track his ex-partner's location.
Sergio Rodriguez was indicted April 6, 2026, in Fort Bend County on charges of stalking and misuse of public information, both third-degree felonies. The Katy Police Department fired him two weeks later, on April 20, 2026.
Fort Bend County prosecutors say the case is the first time their office has charged anyone with misusing the Flock camera system.
"No matter who breaks the law, they have to be held accountable," Fort Bend County Second Assistant District Attorney Wesley Wittig told KHOU 11.
The allegations first reached Katy PD in October 2025, according to internal affairs documents obtained by KHOU. That same month, investigators interviewed Rodriguez, and the documents state he allegedly admitted to using Flock to track his ex-partner, calling it a "dumb decision" and saying he had no excuse.
Court documents obtained by ABC13 also allege Rodriguez placed a tracking device on the woman's vehicle. Those records indicate the Flock-related conduct occurred from at least November 2024 through April 2025, though internal affairs documents cite an 11-month window for the 2,386 searches.
Under Texas law, each third-degree felony carries two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Rodriguez's attorney told KHOU he has no comment. No trial date has been announced.
The Katy Police Department said in a statement that misuse of its systems would not be tolerated.
Other Houston-area agencies hit by Flock misuse
The Rodriguez case is part of a widening wave of Flock misuse investigations in the Houston area. In Pasadena, Sgt. Michael Palitz resigned while under investigation for allegedly using Flock to track a female officer. In Baytown, an officer resigned after a criminal investigation into Flock abuse. Deer Park PD disciplined an officer after an internal audit found policy violations.
Wittig said the DA's office still supports the Flock camera system, describing the Rodriguez case as rare and noting the cameras have helped solve violent crimes and protect victims in Fort Bend County.
Flock Safety, the Atlanta-based company that operates roughly 120,000 cameras across 49 states, launched an AI auditing tool in 2026 that flags abnormal or repeated searches. The company now requires officers to enter a valid case number before running a database query.
The Institute for Justice has cataloged more than 100 incidents of license plate reader abuse nationally, including the Fort Bend County case. State Rep. Mitch Little and State Sen. Bob Hall have said they plan to examine Flock camera use ahead of the next legislative session, according to Texas Scorecard.
