Jesus Gonzales
Jesus Gonzales, 19, died on March 3, 2024, in the booking area of the Bexar County Jail in San Antonio, Texas. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office, through Sheriff Javier Salazar, said he died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and the medical examiner was to make the final determination on cause of death. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said an officer, Abdiel Munoz, failed to properly search Gonzales before transporting him to the jail, calling it neglect that led to a preventable death, and KSAT reported that body camera footage shows officers did not pat him down when he was taken into custody. Munoz was disciplined, and his indefinite suspension was in arbitration in June 2026, while a Bexar County Sheriff's Office corporal who checked Gonzales on arrival received a 30-day suspension.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (neglect alleged). The sheriff said Gonzales shot himself with a gun hidden under his clothing, and San Antonio's police chief said an officer's failure to search him properly was neglect that led to a preventable death.
Reported by: Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar (the agency that held him); San Antonio Police Department (the agency that held him); KSAT body camera footage (reporters).
News reports (5)
- 19-year-old man takes his own life inside adult detention center, BCSO says
- Custodial death report 24-291-CJ
- Murder, medical episodes and suicide: A look at the 2024 deaths inside the Bexar County jail
- San Antonio Police officer challenges suspension in arbitration tied to jail suicide
- SAPD chief defends firing of officer who failed to search teen before jail suicide