SAN ANTONIO — Authorities are investigating after two more men died while in custody at the Bexar County jail over the weekend, bringing the total number of inmate deaths at the facility to eight so far this year.
Kevin Arballo, 33, was found unresponsive in the jail restroom by a deputy, county law enforcement officials say, while 54-year-old Wade Graham was found passed out on his bunk. Despite the deputies calling for help and medical staff attempting to save the men, they were pronounced dead within 12 hours of each other.
Officials said Arballo was declared dead at 4:33 p.m. at the detention center; he had been in custody for just three days. Graham was pronounced shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday at a local hospital, after being taken into custody on July 7.
In both cases, Bexar County law enforcement officials categorized the deaths as stemming from "a medical episode exacerbated by pre-existing medical conditions." Graham had some kind of pre-existing heart condition, officials also said.
The official causes of death must still be determined by the medical examiner's office.
In the meantime, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office is launching separate internal investigations into the in-custody deaths, per agency procedure. The Karnes County Sheriff's Office is also conducting its own investigation into Arballo's death, while the Precinct 2 constable's office will investigate the conditions surrounding Graham's passing.
On Friday, Bexar County was sued for the 2021 in-custody killing of Curtis Smith by another inmate, in a complaint alleging "significant issues" regarding facility conditions and staffing.
In both cases, county officials said, jail deputies are believed to have followed BCSO procedures.
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