BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A San Antonio family is demanding answers after their loved one died while in the custody of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Now, they’re raising concerns about the quality of medical care.
CaSandra Pearson, 29, died May 17 after she was found unresponsive in her jail cell. According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, she was still breathing when discovered, and on-site University Health medical personnel responded before she was taken to a local hospital, where she later died.
Pearson had been in custody since March 10, when she was charged with harassment of a public servant and assault of hospital personnel on hospital property.
Her family said she suffered from sickle cell anemia and struggled with her mental health. They said she should have been in a hospital, not a jail cell.
“She was a daughter, a niece, a mother, a human being,” said Stephanie Shoels, Pearson’s aunt.
Shoels said her family has been left with more questions than answers.
“Who heard her cries for help? And why was more not done? Because this is just not about one family anymore,” Shoels said.
“It appears all policies and procedures were complied with,” a BCSO news release said.
Pearson’s family, along with advocacy nonprofit ACT 4 SA, called for full transparency in the investigation and demanded action to prevent similar deaths.
ACT 4 SA held a vigil with Pearson’s family outside the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on Thursday night.
Pearson is the fourth person to die in BCSO custody since the start of 2026.
“We will continue to demand humanity, accountability, and reform because this has got to stop,” Shoels said.
As of Thursday, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office had not released an official cause of death. The Castle Hills Police Department is investigating what happened to Pearson.
BCSO referred KSAT’s questions about the quality of Pearson’s medical care to University Health.
“When a patient enters the Bexar County Detention Center with a medical condition, they are screened for mental and physical health issues and offered appropriate treatment,” a spokesperson for University Health told KSAT via email. “Federal confidentiality laws prevent us from discussing patient details, but we want to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family.”
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