SAN ANTONIO — A man jailed in Bexar County faces murder charges after allegedly killing a fellow inmate last week.
According to an arrest affidavit, an inmate accused Anthony McGruder, 28, of assaulting him and Jose Barrera, 62, on August 13 at the west-side facility. When they arrived to check on Barrera, detention officers noticed he was unresponsive and alerted medical staff.
Medical crews responded to the unit and began treating Barrera, with the San Antonio Fire Department and EMS also en route, according to the affidavit. Medical personnel pronounced Barrera dead at 2:37 p.m.
Authorities said eight inmates were inside the cell at the time of the incident. The Texas Rangers were assigned to investigate Barrera's death.
Shortly after, the Texas Rangers began analyzing the crime scene and noticed abrasions near and around Barrera's "front neck area and forehead area." According to the arrest affidavit, McGruder admitted to "killing a guy" during questioning by Texas Rangers. A witness also told authorities McGruder had been involved in multiple recent altercations with Barrera, including an incident where McGruder allegedly choked him with a sheet.
BCSO officials said McGruder "continued to be aggressive and erratic after the incident."
Upon examining his body, officials determined they found evidence showing Barrera died from strangulation.
According to the Texas Rangers, McGruder, who was booked into the jail on March 7, has an extensive criminal history including four prior assaults and one arrest for injury to a child/elderly/disabled person. His bond for Barrera's killing was set at $250,000.
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