Inmate who died in Bexar County Jail on Thursday identified

The man who died in the Bexar County jail on Thursday has been identified as 52-year-old Jaimie Rodriguez Valdez.

Around 5 p.m. Thursday, Bexar County Adult Detention Facility staff gave Valdez medication for an underlying pre-existing medical condition. About an hour later, deputies making their rounds found the man unresponsive in the booking area where he was awaiting a cell assignment, according to officials with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).

Valdez had been arrested for theft under $2,500, a misdemeanor, according to BCSO.

Personnel tried life-saving measures, officials said. Despite those efforts, Valdez was pronounced dead at 7:43 p.m.

“Preliminarily, it appears that the inmate suffered a medical episode compounded by preexisting medical conditions, however, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the exact cause of death,” the sheriff’s office said in an emailed statement.

Valdez is the latest of more than 20 people who have died while in BCSO custody this year.

Earlier this month, Ed Penix — a man experiencing homelessness — died of “preexisting medical conditions,” according to the county.

Sheriff Javier Salazar later told the Express-News Penic should not have been in the county jail in the first place because he was “homeless, mentally ill and had major medical issues.”

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This article appears in Oct 18-30, 2023.