SAN ANTONIO – A man accused of killing his grandmother inside their home in Shavano Park had a long history of run-ins with police and Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies.
Joseph Martin Finnegan, 27, was arrested at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
Sheriff’s deputies said they found Finnegan inside the home, located on Long Bow Road near Northwest Military Highway, covered in blood.
They also found the victim, Finnegan’s grandmother, dead inside the home.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters Wednesday the victim had called 911 herself, asking for help from BCSO’s Specialized Multidisciplinary Alternate Response Team or S.M.A.R.T.
He said she told dispatchers that her grandson was having mental health problems.
The home is less than a mile from the City of Shavano Park’s police department, yet officers did not respond immediately.
“We weren’t notified,” said Bill Hill, city manager and spokesperson for Shavano Park. “The specific request was for Bexar County’s mental health team to react and specifically requested that Shavano Park not respond.”
Hill said, in hindsight, though, that may not have been the best plan of action.
He said Shavano Park police officers are all trained to handle mental health calls, and Finnegan is no stranger to the department.
“We’ve been called to that residence and that particular suspect over 10 times, dating back to 2016,” Hill said. “He’s been charged multiple times, and the charges have either been dropped or not accepted by the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.”
KSAT 12 News sent an email to the district attorney’s office, asking for a response to Hill’s statement. As of Thursday afternoon, no one had replied.
A spokesman for BCSO said that the agency’s records show at least half a dozen calls to the home within the past two years involving Finnegan.
One neighbor said after the call on Wednesday, the area instantly became a crime scene.
“Police cars, ambulance, all sorts of emergency vehicles,” said the neighbor who asked to remain anonymous.
He told KSAT 12 News the murder was shocking and referred to the victim as “very nice,” someone who was willing to help everyone.
The neighbor said he believes there’s a need for a thorough review of the response to the victim’s 911 call.
He said someone should’ve advised her to get to safety while waiting for deputies to arrive.
“Maybe stay on the phone. Maybe walk outside. Maybe walk to a neighbor’s,” he said.
As of Thursday afternoon, the victim’s name had not been released.
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