SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County Jail inmate held on a $2,500 bond for a misdemeanor theft charge died while in custody on Thursday, according to the sheriff’s office.
A detention officer found 67-year-old Rogelio Hernandez unresponsive in his cell around 2:32 a.m. and called for backup before attempting lifesaving measures, BCSO said.
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Medical staff members from University Health working in the facility then took over trying to save Hernandez’s life.
First responders with the San Antonio Fire Department arrived at the scene shortly after, around 2:38 a.m., to help.
Hernandez was pronounced dead at 2:55 a.m., BCSO said.
The sheriff’s office said Hernandez may have experienced a medical episode before being found unresponsive. However, the medical examiner will determine his cause of death.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, Internal Affairs, and The Public Integrity Unit are investigating Hernandez’s death.
The Karnes County Sheriff’s Office will also conduct a separate investigation, per the Sandra Bland Act, which requires that an independent law enforcement agency investigate jail deaths.
BCSO officials also notified the Texas Commission on Jail Standards about the in-custody death.
The sheriff’s office said it appears that all policies and procedures were followed by the detention officer conducting the cell checks.
Hernandez was being held on a charge of theft $100 to <$750, a Class B misdemeanor, on a $2,500 bond.
