Family Tragedy, Departmental Fallout, and a Verdict That Divided San Antonio
A Bexar County jury has found three former San Antonio police officers — Eleazar Alejandro, Alfred Flores, and Nathaniel Villalobos — not guilty in the 2023 shooting death of Melissa Perez, a 46-year-old mother of four killed during a mental health crisis at her Southwest Side apartment.
The verdict came Monday after a month long trial and just ninety minutes of jury deliberation. The case marked the first time multiple SAPD officers faced murder charges for an on-duty shooting in Bexar County history.
Prosecutors argued that the three officers wrongfully used deadly force when Perez — who was unarmed — was shot inside her apartment on June 23, 2023.
According to body camera footage, officers fired 16 rounds, two of which struck and killed Perez. Police had responded to reports that she was cutting fire alarm wires, claiming the FBI was spying on her…