Escobares Police Chief Nelson Martinez was arrested early Thursday morning on a DWI charge, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

A DPS spokesperson confirmed the arrest happened at around 3:46 a.m. at the 600 block of Salvador Zarate Road in La Grulla.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by Channel 5 News, a truck driven by Martinez was pulled over after a DPS trooper noticed Martinez was failing to drive in a single lane and driving on the shoulder lane.

The trooper asked Martinez to exit the vehicle and walk to the rear of the car after noticing Martinez had slurred speech, red eyes, and “a strong odor of some type of alcohol emitting from inside his vehicle.”

“Martinez had an unsteady balance, lost his footing to the point where he held onto the driver-side rear quarter panel to maintain his balance,” the complaint said. 

Martinez was arrested and transported to the Starr County jail without incident. He has since been released from custody on a $1,500 bond.

When reached for comment, Escobares Mayor Fernando Garza issued the following statement:

"The city of Escobares is closely monitoring an incident involving the police chief outside of his line of duty. The city intends to call a special meeting to consider taking formal action immediately.  We respect the judicial process and look forward to keeping the community updated as information becomes available."