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Manuel de Jesus Aparicio Trejo

Age :

Gender : Male

Race : Unknown

Date : 04/24/2022

Location : Interstate 35 near Exit 137/Kinney Road

City : Somerset area

County : Bexar

State : Texas

Agency : Medina County Sheriff’s Office

Officer(s) :Sgt. Ricardo Delgado; other deputies Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE: Passenger killed during pursuit initiated after a Medina County sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a Chevrolet pickup for a lane violation on Interstate 35.
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NARRATIVE:
On 04/24/2022, Manuel de Jesus Aparicio Trejo was critically injured while riding in a Chevrolet pickup during a Medina County Sheriff’s Office pursuit that began near Exit 125 on Interstate 35 and continued approximately 12 miles into Bexar County.
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The pursuit lasted approximately seven minutes and reached approximately 90 to 100 mph. A supervisor eventually instructed deputies to fall back and monitor the pickup.
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Near Exit 137, a rear tire failed and the pickup crashed into a grassy berm and rolled repeatedly. Most of the occupants were ejected. Aparicio Trejo was among those critically injured and transported to a hospital.
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Aparicio Trejo and Romando Tapia Flores subsequently died from their injuries. Contemporary reports initially described everyone as injured; federal prosecution records later confirmed that two passengers died several days after the crash.
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The driver, Joseph Alex Hernandez, pleaded guilty in federal court and was sentenced on 04/04/2024 to 192 months — 16 years — in federal prison for the smuggling conspiracy resulting in death.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Medina County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ricardo Delgado, then a patrol deputy, was identified in later federal court proceedings as the deputy who attempted the initial traffic stop and participated in the pursuit.
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SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/austin-man-sentenced-16-years-prison-smuggling-attempt-resulted-migrant-deaths
https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/austin-man-gets-16-years-deadly-police-chase-19385664.php
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/04/04/man-sentenced-to-16-years-in-federal-prison-for-fatal-migrant-smuggling-attempt-in-medina-county/