SAN ANTONIO – A man accused in an attempted murder-suicide at a hotel near downtown San Antonio allegedly held a yearslong affair with the victim, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT.
The suspect was identified as Jose Garcia Meza, 50. A mugshot was not immediately available at the time this story was published.
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San Antonio police officers responded to a reported attempted suicide call just after 1:30 p.m. on Monday at the Best Western Alamo Suites in the 1000 block of South Laredo Street.
When officers found the hotel room, the affidavit stated that they saw the victim “lying in a pool of blood” on the floor with a neck injury.
>>SAPD: Female dead, suspect injured after attempted murder-suicide south of downtown
The affidavit identified the victim as 42-year-old Valeen Joy Tellez.
In the room, officers also witnessed a woman hugging Meza. The affidavit referred to the woman as Meza’s wife.
Meza, after seeing the officers in the room, laid on the ground and put his arms to his side. A self-inflicted gunshot wound was found on one of his arms, the affidavit states.
Officers handcuffed Meza and transported him to a local hospital for treatment, according to Meza’s arrest warrant.
When emergency personnel responded to the hotel, they pronounced Tellez dead at the scene, according to the SAPD detective who wrote Meza’s affidavit.
Meza had affair with Tellez for at least two years
Meza’s wife told SAPD homicide detectives that Meza and Tellez had an affair for at least two years and allegedly took narcotics together. She also told investigators that Meza sent her a video of the pair using drugs earlier in the day.
Meza’s wife also informed investigators that her husband allegedly sent a photo of Tellez but did not specify the details of the image.
After receiving the photo, investigators said Meza told his wife over the phone that he wanted to take his own life. Meza’s admission prompted his wife to call SAPD and drive to the hotel, the affidavit stated.
When she arrived at the hotel, Meza’s wife alerted the hotel manager of a “medical emergency” in the room. According to investigators, Meza’s wife and the hotel manager later entered the room shortly before responding officers arrived.
Search warrant finds ‘cutting instruments,’ written note and paraphernalia inside hotel room
Investigators viewed surveillance video showing Meza and Tellez arriving at the hotel just before 1:40 a.m. on Monday. The pair later entered the hotel room.
A search warrant was later obtained for the room where investigators said they found a note on a dresser.
The note, which was written in Spanish, was roughly translated to: “She gave me crystal. It made me crazy. I didn’t know anything about drugs. I ask for forgiveness from everyone. I had never done any wrong before,” according to the affidavit.
Two cutting instruments with blood on them and paraphernalia were found near the note, the detective wrote. Investigators also observed blood spattered around the room, which suggested a struggle took place.
Meza was later intubated at the hospital following a medical episode, according to the affidavit. Investigators were not immediately able to get his side of the story.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived at the hotel and found a cutting wound on the left side of Tellez’s neck. The medical examiner suggested those injuries indicated that Tellez had been in a struggle, according to the affidavit.
On Thursday morning, the ME’s office formally ruled Tevez’s death as a homicide from sharp force injury to the neck.
Meza’s bond has been set at $250,000, according to Bexar County court records.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.
You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.
Resources can also be found at the link here.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is so much help for you. KSAT has a list of resources on its Domestic Violence webpage, which also explains how to identify different types of abuse.
If it’s an emergency, text or call 911. For wrap-around services including the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services at (210) 733-8810.
You can also contact the Bexar County Family Justice Center, which also provides wrap-around services at (210) 631-0100.
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