Jesse Garza
December 26, 2003

On Friday, December 26, 2003 , Bexar County Deputy Jesse A. Garza Jr., was killed in a one car crash while responding to an emergency call. At approximately 6:00pm , Bexar County Sheriffs dispatchers alerted units in the southeastern area of Bexar County of a one car rollover with injuries on U.S. Hwy 181 S., near Kilowatt Rd. Deputy J. Garza, E. Calderon and J. Rodriguez responded to the call Code #3. (Emergency Lights and Sirens)

The dispatch office then started receiving calls of a one vehicle crash in the 9500 Blk of Stuart Rd. The dispatcher attempted to contact Deputy Garza on the radio but received no answer. Deputy E. Calderon advised the dispatcher that he observed Deputy Garza turn south on Stuart Rd from Hwy 87 E. and told the dispatcher that he would check Stuart Rd.

Several minutes later Deputy E. Calderon located Deputy Garza’s wrecked patrol vehicle in the 9500 Blk of Stuart Rd. Medical assistance arrived on the scene. Deputy Garza was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center by Airlife. Deputy Garza died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The investigation by Bexar County Sheriff’s Traffic Safety Unit revealed that Deputy Garza was headed southbound on Stuart Rd. When Deputy Garza’s patrol vehicle came out of a left turn, the right side of the patrol vehicle left the roadway. This caused Deputy Garza to lose control of the vehicle. Deputy Garza’s patrol vehicle slid across both lanes of the roadway, went through a barb wire fence and struck a group of trees.

Deputy Jesse A. Garza Jr., age 33, had been a member of the Bexar County Sheriffs Office for 11 years. He had worked assignments in Detention, Criminal Warrants, Gang Unit and was assigned to the Patrol Division.  Garza was preceded in death by his mother, Sylvia A. Garza. She had passed away two weeks earlier due to a long illness. Garza was survived by his wife, Sandra Garza; sons, Lorenzo Campos and Richard Garza; daughters; Jessica and Gloria Garza; father, Jesus A. Garza; sister, Barbarita Holbert and her husband, Tracy; brother, Jaime Garza and his wife, Maria; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jesse and Sylvia Aguilar. He was a member of the Alamo Masonic Lodge #44AF & AM.

Rosary was held at the Porter Loring Chapel on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 and interment was at San Fernando Cemetery #2 on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 .