Neida Tijerina, a 29-year-old Hispanic woman from San Antonio, Texas, was a devoted mother who was remembered by her family as an awesome and happy person. Her sister, Jasmine, said Neida was "all about her kids," adding, "It was her babies first before her." Her life was cut short in a tragic incident at her home on July 26, 2021.
That day, Neida’s common-law husband, Angel Sanchez, held her and her four children hostage in their apartment at the La Posada Del Rey complex on Roosevelt Avenue. Armed with a shotgun, Sanchez threatened to kill both Neida and himself, leading to a tense, overnight standoff with the San Antonio Police Department’s SWAT team. At one point, Neida came out of the apartment but went back inside because her children were still with Sanchez. Police attempts to negotiate and de-escalate the situation were unsuccessful.
The standoff came to a violent end after Sanchez taunted officers and pointed his weapon at them.
Three officers positioned on a nearby rooftop opened fire, critically injuring Sanchez. When police entered the apartment, they found Neida Tijerina deceased. Her children were inside but were not physically harmed.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus later held a press conference, calling the event "extremely tragic for all involved." He stated that while the Bexar County Medical Examiner had not yet made a final conclusion, "the physical evidence appears to support that conclusion" that Neida had been inadvertently killed by police gunfire. The District Attorney's Office later said she had been unknowingly standing on the other side of the closed apartment door when she was shot. The medical examiner ultimately ruled her death a homicide.
Though police gunfire was responsible for her death, Angel Sanchez was blamed for causing the circumstances that led to it. He was arrested and charged with murder and unlawful restraint. Sanchez later pleaded guilty for his role in the fatal standoff and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In July 2023, Neida’s mother, Maria Tijerina, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the City of San Antonio, the police chief, and the officers involved. The lawsuit alleges that the officers used excessive deadly force and that the department failed to properly train its personnel. As of July 2023, the civil case was pending.
