Gilbert Suarez, 38, and other inmates are accused of violently assaulting Francisco Bazan, 46, in jail on April 28.
The Texas Rangers on Monday formally charged a Bexar County Jail inmate for the death of another inmate, court records obtained by KSAT Investigates show.
Gilbert Suarez, 38, and other inmates are accused of violently assaulting Francisco Bazan, 46, in jail on April 28.
Suarez on Monday became the first inmate to be formally charged in the case.
BCSO jailer Clemente Lopez was charged with murder late last week, after admitting to investigators to opening the door to a jail cell, allowing the assault of Bazan to take place.
Suarez waited in the shower near Bazan’s cell, according to the records.
Suarez, along with two other inmates, entered Bazan’s cell and began fighting, records show.
An unnamed inmate described hearing Bazan “yelling and later crying,” according to the warrant.
The record states the unnamed inmate saw Lopez watching the assault and laughing.
After the assault, records show the unnamed inmate said Bazan went to clean up in the shower and told him that “the assault was over $40.00, and [Bazan] had nothing to do with it.”
BCSO officials later found Bazan unresponsive in his cell, sheriff’s officials previously said.
Medical staff was called, and life-saving measures were performed, including administering Narcan to revive him. Bazan was ultimately pronounced dead at 3:14 a.m.
An autopsy revealed Bazan’s manner of death was homicide, and he had suffered from an extensive amount of internal bleeding, according to the warrant.
Jail records show Suarez was arrested and booked into jail in September 2024 on charges of criminal mischief and drug possession.
Read more reporting on theKSAT Investigates page.
