EP Times: Mayor Leeser called Chief of Police, assistant chief to report wife had been “assaulted”
New developments in the incident between Mayor Oscar Leeser, his wife Lisa Leeser, former City representative Ann Morgan Lilly, and her husband Rut Lilly.
The couples recently engaged in a heated confrontation at a West El Paso restaurant the night of December 20, 2017.
Open records requests by the El Paso Times reveal Leeser called the chief of police and an assistant police chief to report the issue, instead of calling 911.
The El Paso Times reported Leeser called Chief Greg Allen first, then turned to Assistant Chief Peter Pacillas, who in turn, called police dispatch and told them to send a unit to Thyme Matters on Mesa because the mayor’s wife had been “assaulted” by Lilly’s husband.
ABC-7 obtained video of the incident last week from inside the restaurant and showed it to viewers last week. It shows Rut Lilly and Oscar Leeser come face to face, before Lisa Leeser stands up between them.
On the police report, Mrs. leeser says Mr. Lilly “shoved” her. Mr. Lilly says Mrs. Leeser may have “brushed” against him.
District Attorney Jaime Esparza has declined to prosecute the case, citing a lack of evidence. Ann Morgan Lilly filed an ethics complaint against the Mayor, saying he abused his power by misusing police resources.
Lilly’s ethics complaint was later returned by the City attorney, seeking more information. Lilly told ABC-7 Tuesday, after finding out the Mayor called the chief and an assistant chief instead of 911, she will now re-file her ethics complaint.
“Most citizens just call 911 and ask for help on these situation, but as the Mayor he had the right to do that,” Lilly said, before being asked by ABC-7 if she thought it was correct of him to call the chief. “No, I really don’t. I think that was a little over the top.”
The Mayor’s assistant told ABC-7 he was not available for comment on the incident Tuesday.
The El Paso Times also reported that after speaking with Mayor Leeser, Assistant Chief Pacillas told dispatch that Rut Lilly was “possibly a signal 90,” police code for a drunken person.
Ann Morgan Lilly told ABC-7 her husband had a single martini at the restaurant that night and she had two glasses of wine. She provided ABC-7 with a copy of the receipt from the meal that night, showing a charge for a martini of $9.25 and two glasses of wine for $15 ($7.50 each).
Both denied being intoxicated at the time of the incident.
