A Bexar County jail inmate, 44-year-old Reyes Antonio Chaires Jr., died Saturday after being hospitalized in San Antonio, according to county officials. Chaires had been booked into the county jail on June 3 on a possession of a controlled substance charge and was moved to a hospital on June 4. Authorities said they believe detoxing may have been a contributing factor in his death.
KSAT reports that Chaires was taken by ambulance and admitted to the hospital on Thursday, then pronounced dead at 4:38 p.m. Saturday. The San Antonio Police Department made the original arrest, while the Castle Hills Police Department is leading the criminal investigation, the sheriff’s office said. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has also launched a separate administrative review through its Internal Affairs unit. KSAT’s tally counts this as the fifth jail-related death tied to Bexar County so far this year.
Investigation and oversight
Under state regulations, county jails must report any death in custody to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The agency’s guidance calls for an immediate email notification, followed by a full custodial-death report after the autopsy and any outside investigation are completed. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct the autopsy and toxicology tests that will determine the official cause and manner of death.
A pattern of in-custody deaths
This latest death adds to a series of in-custody fatalities at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center that local outlets have described as deeply concerning. The San Antonio Express-News has documented 85 in-custody deaths between 2020 and 2025, pointing to detox-related incidents and suicides as recurring elements in the death toll.
What happens next
Castle Hills police will continue to oversee the criminal investigation, while the sheriff’s office carries out its internal administrative review, officials told KSAT. The medical examiner’s autopsy and toxicology work could take anywhere from several days to weeks to complete. State reporting rules require that a formal custodial-death report be filed once the outside investigation and the autopsy are finished.
Community and oversight questions
Advocates and editorial boards, including coverage in the San Antonio Express-News, have urged county leaders to provide more transparency and to expand diversion options for people dealing with substance-use and mental-health issues. County officials say reviews and inspections are ongoing, while watchdog reporting notes that residents and advocates are likely to scrutinize both the outcomes of the criminal investigation and the medical examiner’s findings.
