Man Arrested After Police Discover Mother’s Remains in San Antonio Storage Unit

SAN ANTONIO – In a shocking incident, a man has been taken into custody after law enforcement authorities stumbled upon the remains of his deceased mother inside a trash can within a storage unit that he previously owned, according to an arrest affidavit. The suspect, identified as Rogelio Bernal, 53, was arrested on Friday, Dec. 22, for an unrelated warrant.

The distressing discovery was made on Thursday at a storage facility located on the North Side of San Antonio, in the 4700 block of Vance Jackson Road. The police were summoned to the scene after an individual who had acquired the storage unit through an auction reported finding human remains inside a trash can. The property manager cooperated with law enforcement and provided them with information about the previous renter, who was identified as Bernal. It was subsequently revealed that Bernal had an active warrant.

Following Bernal’s arrest for the outstanding warrant on Dec. 22, he was questioned by the police. During the interrogation, Bernal confirmed that the discovered remains belonged to his deceased mother, whom he claimed to have been responsible for as her caregiver while they resided together in an apartment, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit further revealed that an unfortunate incident occurred around Oct. 31, 2021. Bernal stated that he was cooking in the apartment while his mother was taking a shower. Suddenly, he heard a thud and rushed to find his mother lying on the bathroom floor, still breathing but in a critical condition.

Shockingly, Bernal chose not to contact emergency services after witnessing his mother’s fall, reportedly due to his criminal record. Tragically, his mother passed away soon after the incident. Instead of alerting authorities, Bernal concealed her body in a hall closet within the apartment. Over the course of more than a year, he resorted to using lye and cleaning supplies to cover up the decomposition process, as stated in the affidavit.

As time passed, the apartment became infested with gnats due to the decaying body, Bernal informed investigators during the course of their inquiry.

Eventually, in October 2022, Bernal was evicted from the apartment. Subsequently, he acquired a storage unit and transferred several belongings from the apartment to the unit. Shockingly, Bernal decided to place his deceased mother’s remains inside a trash can within the storage unit, as per the affidavit.

Bernal is currently being held at the Bexar County Jail on a charge of altering, destroying, or concealing a human corpse. According to court records, his bond has been set at $75,000.