Murder charges have been filed against a former Bexar County deputy after a Bexar County inmate was found dead.
According to KSAT, a jailer named Clemente Lopez, 20, was taken into custody for permitting three inmates to enter another inmate’s cell, leading to an attack that resulted in the death of the inmate.
Francisco Bazan, aged 46, was brutally assaulted when a gang of inmates directed Lopez to unlock the door to Bazan’s cell as detailed in the arrest document. When Lopez opened the cell, he cautioned the inmates not to escalate the situation. Subsequently, the inmates were observed by Lopez kicking Bazan in the face and slamming his head against the concrete floor.
“Lopez was observing the entire assault from outside the jail cell,” the warrant states.
Bazan was discovered unresponsive in his cell. Despite the efforts of medical personnel to revive him, he could not be saved and was declared deceased early Wednesday morning. A post-mortem examination revealed that Bazan’s demise was a result of internal bleeding caused by severe blows to his torso, and his death was classified as a homicide by KENS5.
During the Texas Rangers’ investigation, an inmate said the dispute was due to Bazan “failing to pay” money he owed his cellmate. The attack on Bazan was described as “a coordinated effort” between his cellmate and two other inmates, the arrest affidavit said.
Lopez, who had been employed at the detention center since August 17, 2023, admitted to “allowing these types of assaults” in the past, according to the arrest affidavit.
Records show that Lopez’s bond was set at $500,000.
[Feature Photo via Bexar County PD]
