Two Texas prison guards, Lieutenant William Eugene Romero and Sergeant Crystal Janelle West, 33 and 39, respectively, are accused of leaving an inmate to die while locked inside a burning jail cell.
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As reported by the Amarillo Globe-News, citing jail records and a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) statement, the incident occurred on October 5 at the William P. “Bill” Clements Unit in Amarillo.
At around 3:19 a.m., jail employees entered a cell and found an inmate unresponsive. The man, unnamed, was then declared deceased at 4:09 a.m.
An anonymous TDCJ talked with KFDA and revealed that the inmate was on the extended cell block, the highest security area of the prison. In his cell, according to the source, the inmate lit fire to a mattress. Then, when asked to put his hands in the food tray slot opening to be restrained, the inmate reportedly didn’t comply.
Left To Die
Allegedly, Sergeant West asked Lieutenant Romer what to do, and he instructed her to leave the food tray slot closed.
He said, ‘It’s just gonna stay shut,’ the source told the outlet. “We’re not opening it. It’s a safety risk.”
The source alleged that West returned to the jail cell one hour later and finally opened the slot. Reportedly, it was “just billowing smoke out of an 8 x 10 cell.”
However, West allegedly walked away again and told the inmate that she was not going to “pull him out of the cell” and “wouldn’t open the door.” The source accused West of refusing to help the inmate “in any way.”
Eventually, West came back an hour later to find the inmate unresponsive, the source added.
Crystal Janelle West was charged with manslaughter, while William Eugene Romero was charged with criminally negligent homicide. West is being held on a $150,000 bond, while Romero’s bond was set at $200,000.
The TDCJ confirmed to the Amarillo Globe-News that they are no longer employed by the agency.
“The agency is working closely with OIG and the Special Prosecution Unit,” the TDCJ said. “Those staff who allegedly failed to act will be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”