An inmate from Bexar County Jail has died after experiencing a medical emergency yesterday morning, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO). The inmate, identified as 31-year-old Andrea Nicole Garcia, was found unresponsive by fellow detainees around 3 a.m. in the jail's booking area. Inmates immediately alerted deputies that Garcia "didn’t look well", as reported by KSAT.
Efforts were swiftly made to quickly administer life-saving procedures, but despite the attempts, Garcia was pronounced dead on the scene at 3:45 a.m. by the San Antonio Fire Department. The BCSO stated preliminarily that the cause appeared to be a medical episode "exacerbated by detoxing conditions," according to KSAT. However, the official cause of death remains to be determined by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.
This incident marks the fifth death to occur at the jail since July 29, and the second this month, with nine inmate deaths reported at the facility in the current year. Garcia had been booked on Saturday, September 21, on charges including Theft over $1500 with two or more previous convictions, and for Failure to Identify, as mentioned by FOX San Antonio.
The death is under investigation by the Bexar County’s Precinct 2 Constable’s Office in alignment with the provisions of the Sandra Bland Act. The BCSO's Internal Affairs unit is also conducting a separate inquiry. In compliance with protocol, jail officials have notified the Texas Commission on Jail Standards regarding the incident.
