Criminal Justice Institute graduates Gomez and Pelayo work under law enforcement vet Delaunay at Cameron County D.A. office
There are Scorpions all over the Cameron County District Attorney’s office. But no need to worry, these Scorpions are on the case to deliver justice!
From the top floor down to the first level of the Administration Building, Texas Southmost College alumni are making an impact on the department and the community they serve.
Two standouts in the department are investigators Mayra Pelayo and Karina Gomez. Both are making the Texas Southmost College Criminal Justice Institute Police Academy proud of their work on the investigative team.
They work under the direction of another Scorpion alum, Chief Investigator George Delaunay.
Investigators Karina Gomez and Mayra Pelayo work under lead investigator George DeLaunay and District Attorney Luis Saenz to prosecute suspects. Ms. Gomez, Ms. Pelayo, and Mr. DeLaunay are all alumni of Texas Southmost College.
George DeLaunay, Lead Investigator
He attended TSC in the late 1970s before earning a bachelor’s degree at Pan American University. His career in law enforcement included decades with the Drug Enforcement Agency before bringing his expertise to Cameron County D.A. alongside District Attorney Luis V. Saenz.
DeLaunay also serves on the Criminal Justice Institute’s advisory board to guide the program’s direction.
“A good number of my investigators, at some point, attended TSC, including myself,” DeLaunay said. “We have a historical connection, those of us who have 30 plus years in law enforcement. There is a deep connection to TSC.”
Delaunay explained how on top of being women, in a primarily male field, Gomez and Pelayo are a younger duo than what is expected in an investigator position.
“They are learning every day, all of us are in this job, there is always something new,” DeLaunay said. “Most of the investigators we bring in are much older than these two ladies. Typically, they have had a career in law enforcement and then we come here.”
Since Gomez and Pelayo have worked in police departments, they have the experience necessary to communicate with PDs while building the skills to put together cases for prosecuting attorneys.
Karina Gomez, Criminal Investigator
“We help the attorney and victims paint a better picture at the court level. We want to present the best view of the incident,” Gomez, a 2013 graduate of Lopez High school said. “When we paint a great picture for the judge and jury, it aids the person looking for justice.”
She said that her career took off after earning the knowledge and certification from the Criminal Justice Institute. “I finished the CJI police academy and then earned my TCOLE (Texas Commission on Law Enforcement) license, and it opened many doors,” Gomez said. “I have been able to serve my community. I was previously at BISD before returning to school and earning my associate degree. I wanted to be as prepared as possible, and I knew TSC had the tools to help me accomplish that.”
Gomez now works on crime scenes to determine how to put together the best case to prosecute suspects.
Investigators Karina Gomez and Mayra Pelayo work under lead investigator George DeLaunay and District Attorney Luis Saenz to prosecute suspects. Ms. Gomez, Ms. Pelayo, and Mr. DeLaunay are all alumni of Texas Southmost College.
Luis V. Saenz, Cameron County District Attorney
District Attorney Luis Saenz had rave reviews for the quality of students that become employees in his office, with Gomez and Pelayo serving as prime examples.
“We’ve had very good results with TSC students and TSC alumni,” D.A. Saenz said. “That is why we keep going back there; we know that they are good, trained and they are committed. We have very good results, so we look forward to going back there, picking up recruits and putting them to work for the safety of Cameron County.”
Saenz and his office have shown dedication to fighting the epidemic of domestic violence in the Rio Grande Valley. In October, the RGV District Attorney Coalition stopped at Texas Southmost College to speak on domestic violence and how to prevent the problem in young people.
Mayra Pelayo, Criminal Investigator
Pelayo completed the program in 2011. She spent 10 years as a patrol officer with two different departments before landing at Cameron County where she specializes in domestic violence cases. She joined the D.A. office in 2021.
“I completed the full-time Police Academy and started working for the city of South Padre Island in 2011. I was there for a few years before working with Brownsville ISD PD for eight years,” Pelayo said. “Then I saw this position and I went for it.”
Her work as an investigator with the District Attorney’s office is vastly different than what she has experienced before. But her base in education helped make the transition possible.
“I had never done some of the requirements of being an investigator,” Pelayo said. “We work after the fact, seeing the reports. We are not the first officers on scene, so it was a learning experience. But it is rewarding because we can see the full process and not just take the initial report and never know what happens after that.”
She admitted that the work around domestic violence can be emotionally taxing work but reaching the desired resolution gives the work value.
Join the tradition!
If you are interested in a career in law enforcement, the TSC Criminal Justice Institute is a great place to start, with proven results. You can contact records specialist Litzy Hernandez at 956-295-3734 or via e-mail [email protected].
The police academy’s webpage is https://www.tsc.edu/workforce-training-and-career-education/criminal-justice-institute/.
