SWAT RAID ROUGHS UP WRONG GUYS

In a quest for guns and drugs, the San Antonio Police SWAT team
invaded the wrong West Side apartment Wednesday night, leaving one
person to be treated at a local hospital and another with minor injuries.

Police spokesman Gabe Trevino told KSAT-TV news it was a mistake and
the department apologized for the incident around 8 p.m. in the 5900
block of Fairshire Road.

"We are sitting here and then all of them arrived," Salvador Huerta,
20, said in Spanish, referring to himself and his two cousins, who
were watching a telenovela when police shattered the back glass door.
"We were kicked and punched at least 20 times. I couldn't talk. I was
good and scared."

At least 12 officers entered screaming and pointing guns, he said,
adding that he only understood the profanities.

He and his cousin Marcos Huerta, 19, fell to the floor and tried to
cover their heads as they were kicked and punched in their dark living
room that was filled with tear gas. Vicente Huerta, 17, ran out the
front door.

Salvador got a broken front tooth and swollen face, while Marcos was
taken to a hospital for a cut face and bruised head.

The three, who work at Taqueria Jalisco, thought the raid was a
robbery.

"The way they entered, I never thought it could be the police,"
Vicente said.

After the tear gas cleared, the cousins were handcuffed and sat on
their couch as officers searched the residence.

Vicente said an officer told them they had a report stating there were
drugs and guns in the residence. "I said, 'You have the wrong
address,'" Vicente said.

After realizing that was so, police apologized several times and went
five apartments down and arrested two people, neighbors said.