Man charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography after disturbance in Colony Ridge community

An investigation into a disturbance at a home in the Colony Ridge communities south of Plum Grove has resulted in charges against one person.

Walter Cerrato-Ruiz, 20, of Houston, was arrested on Thursday, October 10, on four counts of possession of child pornography after investigators found hundreds of illegal images on his seized phone.

The investigation began on August 18, 2024, when Liberty County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a home on CR 3545 for a loud disturbance.

When they arrived, shots were reportedly fired nearby, leading officers to believe they had been targeted. Numerous people were interviewed on site and various witness statements were collected.

According to Capt. David Meyers, a spokesman for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, multiple cellphones — six to eight in total — were seized and every person present gave written consent to search the phones. A bilingual researcher was also present to assist with interviews for those who did not speak English.

Initially, deputies believed that assessing the cellphones would reveal whether the shots were aimed at them. However, during the search, investigators reportedly discovered disturbing child pornography images on Cerrato-Ruiz’s phone.

Cerrato-Ruiz was arrested when he came to the sheriff’s office to retrieve his phone, which had been seized as part of the investigation. Cerrato-Ruiz was booked into the Liberty County Jail. Bond details are not yet available.