BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — Funeral services have been set for the 20-year-old Bexar County Deputy who was killed in a wrong-way crash back in July.
Meredith Portillo was off duty when she, and two passengers, were hit by a vehicle driving in the wrong direction along Interstate 37. Portillo and the driver of the other vehicle were pronounced dead on the scene. A passenger, now identified as one of Portillo's life-long friends, died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
On Monday, Aug. 5, many gathered for a public viewing and rosary service at Mission Park Funeral Chapel on Southeast Military Drive.
"This young lady did touch a lot of lives," said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. "It's clear that everyone felt like she was the whole sheriff's office little sister."
Portillo's death sent shockwaves throughout the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), where her brother still serves as patrol deputy.
"We've got 40-year veterans who have experienced loss after loss after loss in their career," said Sheriff Salazar. "Then you've got some young kids – her classmates and people who came on around the same time – and they have never experienced anything like this. So, it's an extremely emotional time in the agency."
Outside the viewing, one of Portillo's coworkers told KENS 5 the 20-year-old detention worker loved her job. She remembers Portillo as a "happy person" who encouraged inmates.
"Meredith represented everything that is great about this next generation," said Sheriff Salazar. "She was undoubtedly heading towards a leadership role, and I think that we should remember her for that."
On Tuesday, Aug. 6, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office hosted a memorial service at Cornerstone Church located at 18755 Stone Oak Parkway. The procession departed from Mission Park Funeral Chapel South at 9 a.m. and arrived at Cornerstone Church around 9:45 a.m. with the service beginning at 10 a.m.
The services will be livestreamed on the BCSO Facebook page.
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