Records reveal violent criminal history involving 27-year-old Joseph Finnegan, who’s behind bars after allegedly killing his grandmother Wednesday night.
SHAVANO PARK, Texas — A murder in Shavano Park is raising questions about mental health intervention and law enforcement’s response to such situations.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office arrested 27-year-old Joseph Finnegan in the murder of his grandmother Wednesday night following the victim’s call to BCSO to dispatch its mental health team. Her grandson was in the middle of a mental health crisis, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
The murder unfolded in a home off Northwest Military Highway and Long Bow Road sometime between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Neighbors Franklin and Melba Domingo, who live just doors away from the home, said they were shocked by the violence.
“You’re not expecting this,” said Franklin Domingo.
“That’s really very tragic, killing your own family,” added Melba Domingo.
Sheriff Salazar said a deputy made their way to the victim’s home following the demand for BCSO’s S.M.A.R.T unit (Specialized Multidisciplinary Alternate Response Team). The deputy’s text to the woman went unanswered along the way. Thirty minutes later, the deputy arrived and the murder suspect answered the door and was arrested at gunpoint. The victim was lying on the floor covered in blood. The exact nature of how she died isn’t known, although Salazar said it appears she was bludgeoned.
Shavano Park police officers responded to assist Bexar County deputies following the discovery. The city’s police headquarters and municipal building is located less than a mile from the crime scene.
“You just hate to have this happen in anyone’s community, but being that it’s in our community, it hits home,” said Shavano Park City Manager Bill Hill.
Hill said local officers were aware of the situation but were asked not to immediately respond to the home.
“Bexar County informed us that they were enroute and that we were in close proximity, but we were again asked not to be present there to incite a further situation,” Hill said.
According to BCSO, that request came from the victim herself, who reportedly did not want law enforcement arriving in marked patrol units during the initial response.
Records show Finnegan has an extensive criminal history in Bexar County dating back to 2016, including cases involving assaults on elderly individuals and emergency medical personnel.
Sheriff’s officials also revealed deputies have responded to at least 15 calls for service at the home over the past two years. One was for assault and six were for welfare checks.
As investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the killing, the case is prompting renewed discussion about the challenges families face when dealing with repeated mental health crises and the limits of law enforcement intervention.
“Family violence cases, there’s mental crisis. Our officers are very well trained in that,” Hill said. “There’s a short-term intervention that we can do. But there’s a long-term solution. There has to be fixes. Very complex, it’s not easy.”