BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Two males accused of burglarizing vehicles in far west Bexar County are dead after they crashed while attempting to flee from deputies early Sunday morning, according to the sheriff’s office.
Around 4 a.m., deputies responded to the scene after a caller reported two possible burglars driving near Culebra Road and Kallison Bend.
During a press conference, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the males were allegedly checking vehicle doors in an early-2000s Toyota vehicle that was possibly stolen.
Video captured the males entering driveways, testing door handles and entering vehicles, Salazar said.
A deputy arriving near the intersection of Blacktail Crest and Bonita Bend saw the Toyota “blacked out” and fled the scene at a high rate of speed, the sheriff said.
Salazar said the deputy attempted to pursue after activating his overhead lights. However, the deputy reported losing sight of the vehicle.
A second deputy near Culebra Road saw the Toyota cross in front of him at a high rate of speed.
When deputies arrived, Salazar said the vehicle had already “wrecked out,” and the males were lying on the ground critically injured. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
“It’s certainly a tragic loss of life,” Salazar said. “However, it should also be noted that these young men are deceased, unfortunately, as a result of some very, very poor choices on their part.”
Deputies canvassing neighborhoods found vehicles that were burglarized overnight, the sheriff said.
Salazar said the deputy who activated his lights will be placed on administrative leave. The deputy will at some point be moved to administrative duty pending the investigation.
Internal Affairs and the Public Integrity Unit are conducting separate, concurrent investigations.
Robert Scott who lives in the area said he did not hear anything during the night and was caught off guard Sunday morning to see law enforcement vehicles and part of Kallison Bend blocked off.
“Me and my family woke up to go to church, seeing that {the street} was shut off, seeing the tape, I assumed something happened,” he said.
He said he went to the community Facebook page.
Scott said it revealed the tragedy and mentioned vehicle burglaries.
“People have been aware that break-ins and things like that have been going on this area a lot more recently.”
Several other residents KSAT spoke with who did not want to appear on camera said vehicle break-ins are fairly common.
Sheriff Salazar shared that deputies found that some vehicles in the area had in fact been burglarized before daylight on Sunday morning and offered the possibly that the suspects had engaged in that activity.
“The suspects in this case are both wearing gloves at this point. Again, in keeping with what we believe they were doing, was burglarizing vehicles,” Salazar said.
BCSO is still investigating.
The names of the suspects who died have not been released yet.
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