Relations demand accountability after girl dies in Bexar County Jail

CaSandra Pearson died in her cell in Bexar County jail regardless of affected by a identified medical situation that required fixed medical care and monitoring, household keep. Credit score: Courtesy

Advocates and relations are demanding solutions after a girl with a identified medical situation died in a Bexar County Jail on Sunday, Could 18.

CaSandra Pearson, 29, was incarcerated at Bexar County Grownup Detention Heart for 2 months after spending time in a close-by hospital for extreme sickle cell illness. She was arrested March 20 over an alleged altercation with a nurse, for which she was charged with a felony and booked into jail.

Relations keep that in her incarceration, Pearson didn’t obtain correct medical look after her situation. Consequently, she misplaced 20 kilos and weighed 113 kilos on the time of her dying, based on relations.

“CaSandra suffered from a extreme, well-documented case of sickle cell anemia, a continual situation demanding meticulous medical administration and quick emergency care,” Katy Scott, organizer with police and jail reform group Act 4 SA, mentioned in a press release. “Her well being necessities have been a matter of life and dying.”

Officers with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Workplace have been unavailable for quick remark.

Pearson was born with sickle cell illness, based on a GoFundMe arrange in her honor by her household.

“Anybody aware of this sickness understands the insufferable ache crises, numerous hospital visits, and the robust opioid drugs many sufferers rely on simply to handle each day life and survive,” the household’s GoFundMe states. “Through the years, due to the long-term use of those highly effective drugs, her physique developed a dependency that she struggled with uncontrollably.”

Act 4 SA and Pearson’s relations mentioned institutional negligence led to her dying.

“Based mostly on info obtainable to the household, we maintain profound issues that CaSandra’s dying was a direct consequence of egregious medical negligence by College Well being workers and a dangerously delayed emergency response by Bexar County Sheriff’s Workplace jailers,” Scott mentioned. “These establishments are tasked with making certain security for folks in custody. They failed CaSandra. This isn’t merely a tragedy. It is a systemic failure that value CaSandra her life.”

Pearson leaves behind an 8-year-old daughter together with questions on why she wasn’t within the jail infirmary for her situation. She had no legal document previous to the cost that led to her stint within the Bexar County lockup, relations said.

Act 4 SA and Pearson’s household will maintain a vigil for her at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Could 28, in entrance of the Bexar County Grownup Detention Heart.

Pearson’s dying marks the fourth inmate dying in Bexar County custody this yr, based on Act 4 SA.

“The Bexar County Jail is turning into more and more harmful,” Scott mentioned. “4 lives. 4 failures.”

Bexar County inmates who’ve died to date this yr additionally embody Juan Plata Peña, Jr., Tammy Hovland and Joshua Reyes.

Not all of these deaths have been on account of medical situations.

Peña died in a hospital after an obvious medical episode in January.

Hovland, 59, died in February from blunt pressure trauma and strangulation accidents, based on a report in by TV station KSAT. The lady, who was incarcerated for low-level misdemeanor fees, was the primary inmate this yr to die behind the jail’s partitions.

Reyes, 24, was discovered unresponsive in his cell in April after an obvious suicide, based on a report by KENS 5.

After one other suicide in 2025, Bexar County jail was discovered noncompliant for the second time final yr by the Texas Fee on Jail Requirements (TCJS). Inspectors dominated that the lockup was in violation of a state legislation requiring inmates to have each day entry to widespread areas, referred to as “dayrooms,” amongst different infractions.

One other audit discovered that the Texas Fee on Jail Requirements (TCJS) has repeatedly failed to analyze complaints on the jail.

A county jailer was arrested final yr on fees of homicide and interesting in organized legal exercise for allegedly facilitating the April beating dying of an inmate over a $40 debt by leaving the door to his jail cell open for fellow inmates. That jail guard, Clemente Lopez, Jr., was launched on bond following each fees.

A complete of 11 inmates died in Bexar County jail in 2025 — a drop from 13 in 2024 and 18 in 2023. Although the quantity goes down, activists say much more work should be completed to result in true reform in a system they see as rotted from the within.

“We demand solutions. We demand justice. We demand sweeping adjustments on the Bexar County Jail instantly,” Scott mentioned. “Police can’t police themselves. Jails can’t be left to watch their very own negligence. Transparency just isn’t optionally available. It’s a requirement for public security.”

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