BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A 20-year-old Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) detention deputy was arrested on a murder charge in connection to the death of an inmate earlier this week.
Clemente Lopez Jr. was taken into custody on Friday morning after investigators revealed he had intentionally opened the cell door of 46-year-old inmate Francisco Bazan. This allowed several other inmates to enter and assault Bazan violently inside his cell. Bazan was found unresponsive around 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday and was pronounced dead at 3:14 a.m.
Lopez, who had been with the sheriff’s office since August 2023 and was assigned to the detention division, resigned before his arrest. Sheriff Javier Salazar condemned Lopez’s actions, stating, “This suspect ignored both of those points and is now paying for it with his freedom and his career.”
The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation, while BCSO’s Internal Affairs Unit conducts a separate administrative probe.
