Photo: Getty Images
Ruben Ruiz, police officer and husband of slain teacher Eva Mireles, has resigned from his position at the Uvalde CISD Police Department.
Uvalde CISD confirmed Ruiz's resignation on Sunday (November 20), according to KSAT. It remains unclear when his resignation became effective or why he resigned from his position.
Back in July, horrifying footage from inside Robb Elementary School from the deadly May 24 attack was leaked by two local news outlets. In the surveillance footage, Ruiz is seen on his phone — for which he received a lot of backlash for on social media. Texas Rep. Joe Moody came to his defense and explained why Ruiz was on his phone during the shooting that left 19 children and two teachers — one of which was his wife — dead:
"This is the husband of teacher Eva Mireles, who contacted him on his phone from her classroom while he was on-scene to say that she’d been shot and was dying. I’d not planned to speak publicly until the report was released, but I couldn’t say nothing seeing this man, who’s lost everything, maligned as if he was indifferent or actively malicious. Context matters. To those who haven’t bothered to read even the news that’s been reported in your rush to judgment, he attempted to engage but was removed from the building and disarmed. We’ll have much to say about the police response, but no criticism of this officer."
Ruiz was one of the first officers who arrived to the Uvalde elementary school on May 24. It became known later that Ruiz tried to save his wife, but wasn't allowed to do so, per Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw. He was detained, disarmed and escorted off the scene when he tried to move forward in the hallway after learning his wife was shot.
Ruiz's resignation comes three days after Uvalde Police Chief Lieutenant Mariano Pargas stepped from from his position, KSAT reports. A bombshell report was released last week which revealed Pargas knew that "eight to nine" children were alive and needing rescue in a classroom, but "failed to organize help."