SAN ANTONIO – The family of 18-year old Jesus Lopez, a capital murder suspect who allegedly attempted to kill himself in his Bexar County jail cell and later died in the hospital, is questioning his death.
Lopez is the third inmate to allegedly commit suicide at the Bexar County Jail in almost three weeks.
"He never cried in a visit. He was never like, ‘I can't do this anymore,’ (or was) sad or nothing. He was strong," said Teresita Lopez, Jesus' mother.
Jesus Lopez was arrested in April and charged with capital murder for his alleged role in the death of two people at a North Side apartment.
Jesus Lopez's uncle, Larry Losoya, believes his nephew’s death isn't being taken seriously because of the charges he faced.
"Isn't innocent until proven guilty, because that’s the law, right?” Losoya said. “You're Innocent until proven guilty. It don't matter what crime you do. It don't matter what crime. It doesn't make it right for the jail guards to let something happen like that, period.”
Losoya claimed inmates are supposed to checked on every 15 minutes. KSAT 12 asked the sheriff’s office, and they said Losoya is mistaken. Inmates are only required to be checked on once every hour.
Lopez’s death comes just days after state inspectors paid a surprise visit to the jail in response to two previous inmate suicides.
The first inmate killed himself June 28. The second hanged himself in his maximum-security unit July 9.
The sheriff’s office has claimed to be a national model in its efforts to screen incoming inmates for mental illness and suicidal tendencies, but has also said that there is always room for improvement.
"How could you say that? Somebody's life, just got killed in there. If you were doing your job," it wouldn't have happened, Losoya said.
The sheriff's office is still investigating Lopez's death.