SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A man is facing criminal charges and is no longer employed by the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) after he allegedly stole $800 worth of copper pipes from one of its buildings.
Jason Barrera, 28, was arrested Tuesday on four counts of burglary of a building, court records show.
According to an affidavit, Barrera entered the old MLK Academy building in the 3500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on a combined four dates in November 2025 and December 2025.
Barrera used a key obtained through his employment with the district, but police said he had no scheduled business at the building.
The affidavit stated that he was seen on surveillance cameras carrying a reciprocating saw into the building, then leaving with copper and bronze pipes.
Barrera admitted to selling the metal to a scrap yard after SAISD police questioned him about the unusual behavior. He also told police he received more than $800 for the sale, according to the affidavit.
MLK Academy shut down in 2024 to undergo renovations. Barrera said his supervisor told him and others they could take items from the school because it was closed.
However, Barrera’s supervisor told police said that they gave employees permission to use property at the building for improvements to other campuses, and denied giving permission to use property for personal profit.
Brenda Shaw, who lives across the street from the shuttered campus, said she was saddened to hear about the thefts.
Shaw said the school has meant so much to her all these years.
“It’s a school that a lot of people have attended. We get our education there. It’s just part of the community,” Shaw said. “I hope he gets terminated for that.”
In a statement to KSAT 12, SAISD said that Barrera is not a current employee of the district, despite the affidavit listing Barrera as an employee at the time of the burglaries.
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