2024 In Review: The biggest San Antonio stories of the year

SAN ANTONIO — From major cases that gripped the community to wide-ranging City Council decisions and one stunning total eclipse, there was no shortage of major news events in San Antonio this year. 

As the new year makes its approach, we’re taking a look back at the headlines that defined the Alamo City in 2024, some of which – like one very ambitious project in the heart of the city – have implications extending into 2025 and far beyond. 

The third day of the new year saw San Antonio police make two arrests in connection with a murder investigation that shocked the city over the holiday season.

Christopher Preciado and his father, Ramon Preciado, were arrested and eventually indicted for the killings of Savanah Soto, Matthew Guerra and Soto’s unborn baby, Fabian, on Dec. 21. The young couple was found dead in a parked car the day after Christmas.

Trial dates for the Preciados as well as Myrta Romanos, accused of helping get rid of evidence, have yet to be determined.

The early days of the year brought shocking news surrounding one of San Antonio’s top emergency officials. 

Charles Hood, who had led the city’s fire department since 2007, was ousted after an investigation found he made vulgar and demeaning comments about women in the presence of male personnel. Months later, Valerie Frausto, a 24-year veteran of the San Antonio Fire Department, became its first female chief. 

With Mayor Ron Nirenberg in the final months of a term-limited position, the race to succeed him kicked off more than a year before voters head to the ballot box. 

John Courage, the four-term City Council representative for District 9, was the first to announce his plans to run back in January—16 months before the election set for May 2025. He also became the first to leave the race, announcing his exit in early December. But the slew of names that have also announced their candidacies in 2024 – from City Council members Melissa Cabello Havrda and Manny Pelaez to tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano and former Texas Secretary of State Roland Pablos – is an indication of how large may end up being as May approaches.  

Freezing conditions in January compelled organizers of the Martin Luther King Jr. March – which touts itself as the biggest event of its kind in the country – to issue a rare cancellation on Jan. 15, the morning the annual event was to set out. 

A couple weeks later, the cold weather forced sudden school closures for San Antonio’s third-biggest district amid a “system-wide failure” of heating systems, causing frustration for students and parents. SAISD administrators said were at least partly rooted in “human error” after boiler systems weren’t manually overridden. A later report said mismanagement going back decades exacerbated the crisis. 

Astronomical mania took over the Texas Hill Country in April, when thousands of people visiting from around the world took in a stunning solar eclipse while in the path of totality. 

Cloudy conditions stretching from Boerne to San Antonio meant gazers needed to keep their eyes firmly fixed on the sky to catch a glimpse, but it still made for a surreal experience watching day turn to night and back to day again for those precious minutes.

Two young men shot at and killed each other at Historic Market Square on the penultimate night of Fiesta de los Reyes, and several bystanders were also hurt, sparking heartbreak and safety concerns regarding the downtown Fiesta event. Not long after, Police Chief William McManus promised stricter security at the event for 2025, saying visitors “will be checked for weapons” as they walk in. 

Gunfire erupted along the 6700 block of Windsor Hollow Drive in northeast Bexar County the evening of May 8, when two masked, gun-carrying men could be seen on video exiting a car and shooting dozens of rounds into a family home. 

Maryann Marble, 4, died as a result of what authorities called a “targeted attack,” and her parents and siblings were also briefly hospitalized. 

One of the men suspected in the attack was identified in October, having been arrested for alleged auto crimes. Law enforcement accused Isaiah Perales of capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

There was hardly any corner of the city where one could go in 2024 and not glimpse how the city is growing for 2025 and beyond. 

From a re-envisioning of the Alamo grounds and the debut of Civic Park to plans for a downtown Missions stadium and the start of construction on a billion-dollar San Antonio International Airport terminal, the city embarked and/or continued massive projects to bring it into the future while accommodating a population that grew more than any other U.S. city last year. 

The marquee dream, unveiled to the public in a November City Council meeting, is a downtown sports and entertainment district encompassing several smaller projects, including an expanded Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, land bridge over Interstate 37 and possible Spurs arena. Funding sources have yet to be approved for any project, as the “Project Marvel” dream is one being measured in years, not months. 

A coalition of five City Council members took the steps of City Hall on a May afternoon to declare they’d lost confidence in City Attorney Andy Segovia, after claiming he was impeding or blocking progress on council business. 

Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, who has since announced her campaign for mayor, explicitly said she wanted Segovia gone from the position he’s held since 2016. 

City Manager Erik Walsh and other top brass emphasized their support for Segovia, who remains in the position after the matter was discussed behind closed doors. 

Victor Wembanyama made good on all the hype and then some after being drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in 2023, ushering in a new era for the Silver & Black on the back of his out-of-this-world frame and historic stat lines. In June, the NBA awarded him in kind, naming him the first unanimous Rookie of the Year since 2016. 

Tim Handren, who took over the reins at San Antonio-based Santikos in 2018 and went on to lead the movie theater chain through multiple industry crises, retired in June. During his tenure, Santikos also announced it was acquiring locations in seven other states, ultimately making it the eighth-largest theater circuit in North America. 

“My team would tell you I never, ever stress out at adversity that would face us,” he said. “I never feared for our future.”

A New Braunfels native who attended Texas A&M Corpus Christi, a frantic search sparked for Caleb Harris when the 21-year-old vanished from near his apartment complex in March. 

Come July, remains discovered in a wastewater well less than a mile from his last known location were determined to be Harris. But questions remain about how he ended up in the water system, and loved ones are still seeking information about what happened to him on that March day. 

In 2024, loved ones of those who died in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School finally got a first taste of the accountability they’ve been pursuing: Criminal indictments for former Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo as well as ex-school police officer Adrian Gonzales. They were charged with child endangerment, with Arredondo’s trial set to begin as soon as next year after a motion to dismiss his indictment was denied by a judge in December. 

Meanwhile, in March, construction began on the new Uvalde elementary school that will replace Robb, with officials saying $53 million of the expected $60 million has been secured as of mid-December. Its name was also revealed: Legacy Elementary School. A few weeks later, new Uvalde Police Chief announced the “Guardian Initiative,” an ongoing initiative aimed at restoring trust and credibility in the city’s police department in the aftermath of Robb. 

In a move that officials said will result in the state’s third-largest research university, University of Texas regents in August gave the green light for a merger between UTSA and UT Health San Antonio to create “a powerful, singular entity that surpasses the sum of its parts.” 

The combined institution, opening next year, is expected to have a $2.2 billion budget, a direct economic impact of $6 billion, and a school population of about 40,000 students and nearly 16,000 employees. 

After months of negotiations, City of San Antonio leaders and San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters Association agreed to a new collective bargaining contract for the first time since 2009. It paves the way for firefighters to receive a 20% wage increase over three years. 

In a sobering portion of the Democratic National Convention’s final night, Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose child was one of the 21 Uvalde school shooting victims, joined with others to share how gun violence has impacted them. 

“She wears a St. Mary’s sweatshirt and a smile that lights up the room,” recounted Mata-Rubio recounted, who has been an outspoken advocate for gun reform in the aftermath of the 2022 school shooting. “Thirty minutes later, a gunman murders her, 18 classmates and two teachers. We are taken to a private room where police tell us she isn’t coming home. Uvalde is national news. Parents everywhere reach for their children. I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again.”

As part of a downsizing effort approved by trustees last fall, the city’s third-biggest school district closed 15 schools this summer amid budget constraints and low enrollment. 

One of those schools was Frederick Douglass Elementary, the history of which goes back more than a century as the first free public school to open its doors to Black students in the Alamo City. 

While some Alamo City restaurants have expanded or merely relocated, 2024 seems to have brought a never-ending cascade of beloved eateries closing for good, many of them citing the economy and financial uncertainty. Among those that closed this year: The Rustic at The Rim, Lala’s Gorditas, Augie’s Barbecue and Acadiana. 

While construction begins on San Antonio International Airport’s new $1.2 billion terminal, the city is contending with a lawsuit from Southwest that claims it was discriminated against when it comes to gate assignments at the forthcoming Terminal C. A hearing for preliminary injunction, originally scheduled for mid-December, has been delayed after Southwest filed its lawsuit in September. 

Bill Land, the Spurs’ play-by-play announcer for decades, announced his retirement ahead of the 2023-24 season, paving the way for Jacob Tobey’s arrival to the Frost Bank Center sidelines alongside Sean Elliott. 

His journey, as it turns out, began when he was 10 years old and looking for every opportunity to provide the play-by-play to basketball unfolding in the world around him. Read more about his journey and background here. 

Roy Maas Youth Alternatives closed the doors of its West Avenue thrift store for good in September, after more than 40 years of selling good to help service needy San Antonio families. It isn’t ending that mission, though: The organization said it’s shifting its focus to better service children who need assistance. 

The fatal mauling of 81-year-old Ramon Najera in February 2023 sparked new conversations about how dangerous dogs in San Antonio are accounted for and their owners punished if they aren’t properly secured. 

In September, the owners of the dogs who attacked Najera and his wife found out how long they’ll be sent to prison. Christian Moreno was sentenced to 18 years and Abilene Schnieder received 15 years after pleading guilty to their charges. 

City Council, meanwhile, approved stricter rules in early December for negligent owners of dangerous dogs, including higher fines and empowering Animal Control Services to spay/neuter dogs that end up in their custody. 

A summertime celebration turned chaotic in late August when a refurbished section of bleachers at the Kendall County Fair Grounds collapsed, resulted in hospital stays for eight people. A report into the incident found that the section wasn’t inspected in the days leading up to the collapse, but it should have been. 

A 63-year-old Bexar County man was arrested after allegedly punching an election clerk when he was asked to take off his hat supporting presidential candidate Donald Trump, breaking polling site rules.

Jesse Lutzenberger faces charges of injury to an elderly person for assaulting the 69-year-old poll worker on the evening of Oct. 24 at the Johnston Library voting site. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar called it an “ugly incident,” saying there was no place for violence in elections.

Lutzenberger was released on bond. Online records don’t indicate when his next court appearance will take place. 

Customers were asking for it and H-E-B took notice: Starting on Oct. 7, the Texas-favorite grocery store began a phased rollout adding digital tap-to-pay service to all stores, allowing customers to check out using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay and other similar platforms after going shopping.

Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson was abruptly named acting head coach in early November, and the team eventually said why: Popovich, the 75-year-old Hall of Famer who is in his 29th season as head coach, suffered a “mild stroke” and has been recovering ever since. Though visibly absent from games, Popovich released a statement on Dec. 16 saying the “outpouring of support” has been “truly overwhelming.”

San Antonians passed all six charter propositions presented to them in the November election, most notably approving salary raises for the mayor and City Council members; changing term lengths for the mayor and City Council members from two years to four years; and removing salary and tenure caps on the city manager.

The weeks after the November election, which saw wide-ranging loses for Democrats, saw the resignation of the party’s Bexar County leader. Monica Ramirez Alcantara, who had been party chair since 2018, said her decision was “based solely on my wanting to serve the voters of Bexar County in a different manner.” Michelle LoweSolis will serve the remainder of Alcantara’s term after winning a special election on Nov. 21.

Several San Antonio restaurants were also recognized when the coveted Michelin Guide – an international tastemaker for the best in dining – shared its picks for the best Texas eateries for the first time. But only Mixtli, a “progressive” Mexican culinary experience in Southtown where visits will run you $150-plus, won a coveted star, giving it bragging rights and the guide’s most prestigious distinction.  

Eleven months after he was pulled over for allegedly driving drunk on the north side, District 10 City Councilman Marc Whyte agreed to take DWI classes and complete community service as part of a plea deal that replaced the DWI charge with Obstruction of a Highway. 

Three months prior, in August, San Antonio’s Ethics Review Board voted to sanction Whyte over interfering in a private family matter when he directly texted Police Chief McManus over concerns about a child’s safety. While the board he violated three sections of the city’s ethics code, he reiterated he would “do what I did all over again” if placed in the same position.  

Last year, San Antonio City Council approved reserving half a million dollars for reproductive health care services, including potentially funding women’s trips out of state to receive an abortion. In November, city leaders voted to award nearly that entire sum across several local organizations, but none of them plan to use the funds to help women get an abortion elsewhere, to the chagrin of some council members. 

With Bexar County’s death rate with drugs higher than the state average, the City of San Antonio took action in November and declared overdoses a public health crisis. City Council passed a resolution raising awareness on the emergency while calling for expanding access to treatment and recovering services.

The sudden disappearance of 51-year-old Suzanne Simpson from her Bexar County neighborhood seized the community’s attention in October, sparking searches in multiple counties as suspicion swirled around her husband, Brad. 

Now, more than two months after Suzanne was last seen alive, Brad has been indicted on murder and other charges as authorities continue trying to piece together what ultimately happened to her. As of Christmas week, law enforcement have not indicated her remains have been found. 

Despite backlash from the archdiocese and local conservative organizations, thousands attended San Antonio’s first-ever Krampus Parade, a celebration of the folkloric European figure who legend says punishes naughty children. The Southtown procession carried an atmosphere of celebration, even as revelers donned Krampus’ trademark tail, fangs and horns.

After 16 years of empowering San Antonio runners, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series announced it wouldn’t be returning to the Alamo City. The reason: San Antonio is lacing up its shoes and organizing its own marquee marathon event that it hopes will be on par with “the tradition of New York and Boston.” 

More than 19,000 runners laced up across two days and four races in Rock ‘n’ Roll’s 2024 farewell in early December. 

What Police Chief William McManus initially called an accident when longtime Officer William Kasberg’s personal gun discharged, fatally killing him as he was preparing to undergo police training, was later determined to be a suicide. Kasberg was under investigation in Rockport for alleged invasive visual recording, authorities in that East Texas city said, and he was contacted by investigators just 24 hours before he took his own life.

The future of downtown’s horse-drawn carriage industry was among the many hot-button issues San Antonio City Council explored in 2024, and in December it voted to phase the attraction out over the next five years. The Dec. 12 vote was the culmination of an effort that started in late 2022, when council members Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and Phyllis Viagran asked city staff to establish a plan for an eventual ban.

The holiday season turned tragic for the ExcellED Montessori community when officials said an accidental car crash at a Scenic Oaks daycare and preschool killed a teacher and injured several children just days before Christmas. Several days later, one baby remained in the hospital in critical condition. 

A record number of San Antonians experiencing homelessness – 364 – died in the city this year, according to a nonprofit that tracks the data and organizes a memorial service every year. While SAMMinistries said one factor is that the group is more closely connected to the homeless community, officials also say more work needs to be done in the health care and mental health care spaces.