Deputy Jesus A. Garza

Deputy Sheriff Jesus "Jesse" A. Garza, Jr.
Bexar County Sheriff's Department, TX
Born: December 10, 1970
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
End of Watch: Friday, December 26, 2003
Date of Incident: Friday, December 26, 2003
Age: 33
Badge Number: 1357
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Suspect Info: N/A
Weapon Used: N/A
Buried: San Fernando Cemetery #2
Location of Name on National and Texas Monuments
NLEOMF: P33 - E23
TPOM: 05, D, 16

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 Sheriff's dispatchers alerted units in the southeastern of Bexar County of a one car rollover with injuries on US Highway 181 South, near Kilowatt Road. Deputies J. Garza, E. Calderon, and J. Rodriguez responded to the call, code #3 (emergency lights and sirens).

The dispatch office then began receiving calls of a one vehicle crash in the 9500 block of Stuart Road. 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 Road from Highway 87East, and told the dispatcher that he would check Stuart Road.

Several minutes later Deputy E. Calderon located Deputy Garza's wrecked patrol vehicle in the 9500 block of Stuart Road. Medical assistance arrived on scene. Deputy Garza was transported to Brook 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 Road. When Deputy Garza's patrol vehicle came out of a left turn, the right side of the patrol vehicle left the highway. Deputy Garza's patrol vehicle slid across both lanes of the highway, went through a barbed wire fence and struck a group of trees. Deputy Garza was wearing his seat belt.

Deputy Jesse A. Garza, Jr., age 33, had worked assignments in Detention, Criminal Warrants, Gang Unit, and was assigned to the Patrol Division. Deputy Garza was preceded in death by his mother, Sylvia A. Garza. She had passed away two weeks earlier due to a long illness.

Deputy 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, Jamie Garza and his wife Maria; and father-in-law and mother-in-law Jesse and Sylvia Aguilar. He was a member of the Alamo Masonic Lodge #44 AF and AM. ----source San Antonio Express News and Deputy Garza's obituary