SHAVANO PARK, TX. (THECOUNT) — Joseph Martin Finnegan, 27, has been arrested and charged with murder after authorities say he killed his elderly grandmother during a mental health-related incident Wednesday evening in Shavano Park, Texas, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said deputies responded just before 5 p.m. to a residence in the 98 block of Long Bow Road after the victim reportedly requested assistance from the SMART Unit, a Specialized Multidisciplinary Response Team that handles mental health crisis calls.
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Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said a deputy responding from Lackland Air Force Base had been communicating with the victim by text message prior to arrival but stopped receiving responses.
When deputies reached the home around 5:30 p.m., authorities said an officer looked through a window and observed a man inside covered in blood.
Deputies subsequently took Finnegan into custody at gunpoint without further incident.
Investigators said deputies then discovered the victim lying on the floor inside the residence covered in blood. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities believe the woman was stabbed or bludgeoned while deputies were actively responding to the emergency call.
The identity of the victim has not yet been publicly released pending positive identification by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Sheriff Salazar stated Finnegan had prior contacts with local law enforcement and was known to experience “bouts of violence.”
Shavano Park Assistant City Manager Curtis Leeth said the decision was made to transfer the investigation to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in order to utilize additional investigative resources.
Leeth said the sheriff’s office quickly deployed homicide detectives, crime scene technicians, a mobile crime unit response vehicle, and a public information officer to assist with the investigation.
Shavano Park is an affluent suburban community located in Bexar County northwest of downtown San Antonio.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Google Maps: 98 Long Bow Road, Shavano Park, Texas
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