Accountability.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has fired a new detention deputy after photos surfaced showing her posing in uniform in front of a jail holding area while people in custody posed behind the glass, including one image in which she makes an obscene gesture at the camera.
Detention Deputy Karla Beltran, 18, was dismissed Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, under the department’s probationary rules, the sheriff’s office confirmed. She began working at the jail July 1 and had been on the job just over 100 days.
What the photos show
According to WOAI News 4 San Antonio, which first reported the firing, the photos show Beltran sitting in front of a window that looks into a holding area at the jail. People in blue jail uniforms can be seen on the other side of the glass. In the images, Beltran sticks out her tongue, makes peace signs and, in one photo, raises her middle finger to the camera. In some of the photos, the people in custody behind her make the same poses.
It is not clear who took the photos or why. The sheriff’s office said how the photos were taken, who took them and where they were posted are under investigation. No criminal charges are pending against Beltran.
How she was fired so quickly
Bexar County detention deputies and cadets serve a one-year probation period. During that time, the sheriff’s office can fire a new hire immediately for failing to meet conduct standards, and the employee has no right to appeal. Once a deputy finishes probation, they are covered by county civil service rules, which make firing much harder.
The office used the same rule in April to dismiss another probationary detention deputy who had been arrested on a drug warrant.
Why it matters
The Bexar County Adult Detention Center, run by Sheriff Javier Salazar’s office, is one of the largest jails in Texas and holds around 5,000 people at times. The people in the photos had no control over being photographed by a jail employee or having their images shared online. Advocates have long warned that a jail culture that treats people in custody as props or entertainment can lead to more serious mistreatment.
For families
If you believe your loved one in the Bexar County jail has been mistreated, photographed or harassed by staff, you can report it to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, contact your loved one’s attorney, or file a complaint with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the state agency that oversees county jails. Contact numbers, visitation and mail rules are on the Bexar County Jail Information Page.
Texas Prison News will update this story if the sheriff’s office releases the results of its investigation.