>> THE E-SPORTS THING TURN NOT REALLY COOL. ACTUALLY. >> HE WAS THE VERY FIRST BEXAR
COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY TO DIE
OF COVID-19 TIMOTHY DE LA
FUENTE’S PASSING IN APRIL OF
2020, A JOLTING ILLUSTRATION
OF HOW FIRST RESPONDERS
CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY
EVEN A IT WAS OVERRUN BY A
DEADLY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
DE LA FUENTE’S LIFE HAS
REPEATEDLY BEEN HONORED
PUBLICLY BUT PRIVATELY.
>> THE COUNTY HAS BEEN A YEARS
LONG COURT BATTLE TO STRIP HIS
WIDOW OF DEATH BENEFITS.
>> THE FACT THAT THE COUNTY
IS CONTINUES TO DENY THIS CLAIM
IS IS TO ME, IT’S SHAME.
LET’S IT’S DISGUSTING. IT’S
LIKE THEY MY HUSBAND AND
EXCESS.
>> THE DEFENDERS, DILLON
COLLIER EXAMINES THE POTENTIAL
PRECEDENT SETTING COURT CASE
AND THE STAIN. IT’S NOW ADDED
TO A DEPUTY’S MEMORY.
>> IT STARTED ON MONDAY WITH A
DRY COUGH WHILE WORKING AT THE
BEXAR COUNTY JAIL AND BUT BY
THURSDAY, DEPUTY TIMOTHY DE
LA FUENTE HAD FULL BLOWN
COVID-19 IN WAS TOO WEAK TO
WALK OUT OF HIS FAR NORTH SIDE
HOME OUTSIDE AS PARAMEDICS
STRUGGLED TO PUT ON THEIR
HAZMAT SUITS BEFORE GOING IN
INSIDE HIS WIDOW, PAULINE
REMEMBERS AND WHEN I TOOK HIS
GLASSES OFF.
>> AND THAT WAS LOOKING AT
THEM. I LOOKED IN HIS EYES AND
MY HUSBAND WAS GONE. HE WASN’T
BRINGING THERE WAS NOTHING TO
HIDE. THOSE FIGHTS.
>> THE APRIL 2020 DEATH OF THE
27 YEAR BCSO VETERAN STRUCK A
SOMBER COURT, A COVID-19 TEST
TAKEN DAYS BEFORE DEPUTY DE
LA FUENTE’S PASSING CONFIRMED
HE WAS POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS.
THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE QUICKLY
LABELED IT AN ON DUTY DEATH.
THE STRETCHY CLOTH MASK FOUND
BY PAULINE IN THE POCKET OF
HIS UNIFORM. NO MATCH FOR A
DISEASE THAT HAD SURGED THROUGH
THE BUILDING WHERE HE WORKED.
>> THE LOSS OF DEPUTY DE LA
FUENTE LEFT A MASSIVE VOID IN
PAUL II’S LIFE. THE COUPLE THAT
LIVES WITH ONE ANOTHER CARRYING
THEMSELVES AS HUSBAND AND WIFE.
>> FOR 14 YEARS TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO, YOU KNOW, GET MY LONG
TO TAKE THE TRASH OUT
MY HUSBAND TOOK CARE OF ALL
OF THAT.
♪
>> AND THE 100 CLUB OF SAN
ANTONIO WON CHUN THIS MONTH TO
HONOR THE FALLEN, INCLUDING
THAT ONE DAY.
>> IT WAS REVEALED THAT 10 OF
THE 15 AREA FIRST RESPONDERS
WHO DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN
RECENT YEARS. FROM
COVID-RELATED COMPLICATIONS.
THE LAUNCH. THE LATEST
RECOGNITION FOR DEPUTY DE LA
FUENTE AS HIS WIDOW HAS
CRISSCROSSED THE COUNTRY TO
ACCEPT METALS AND DECLARATIONS
ON DURING HIS LEGACY. BUT
PAULINE STORY IS NOT THAT OF A
WIDOW WHO’S BEEN TAKING CARE OF
BY THE COUNTY WHERE HER HUSBAND
PROUDLY SERVED.
>> FAR FROM IT. COURT RECORDS
SHOW BEXAR COUNTY IS TRYING TO
TAKE AWAY DEPUTY DE LA FUENTE’S
DEATH BENEFITS AND BELIEVE IT
OR NOT FORCES WINDOW TO PAY
BACK THE COST OF CREMATED HIM.
IT’S BEEN A LONG, HARD ROAD FOR
PAULINE. IN JULY 2020, THE
COUNTY DENIED HER INITIAL
CLAIMS FOR BENEFITS. SO HER
CASE THEN WENT BEFORE AN
ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE TWICE IN
2021, THE COUNTY’S ARGUMENT,
THE DEPUTY DE LA FUENTE DID NOT
CONTRACT COVID DURING THE SCOPE
OF HIS EMPLOYMENT FOR BCSO THAT
PAULINE WAS NOT DEPUTY DE LA
FUENTE’S LEGAL SPOUSE AT THE
TIME OF HIS DEATH AND THAT SHE
FAILED TO REQUEST IN WRITING
THAT HER DENIED BENEFITS CLAIM
BE REPROCESSED. ONCE THE STATE
DECLARED THAT FIRST RESPONDERS
WERE LIKELY TO HAVE CONTRACTED
COVID WHILE WORKING AFTER THE
ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE OVERSEEING
THE CASE. I DID WITH PAULINE
BOTH TIMES THE COUNTY APPEALED
BOTH TIMES.
>> AND IN LATE JANUARY, FILED
SUIT AGAINST PAULINE IN STATE
DISTRICT COURT SEEKING TO IN
THE WEEKLY DEATH BENEFIT SHE
RECEIVES WHICH TOTAL LESS THAN
$4,000 A MONTH MAKER PAY BACK
THE $1900. IT COSTS TO CREMATE
HER HUSBAND IF HE HAD BEEN SHOT
IN THE LINE OF DUTY. THERE BE
NO QUESTION ABOUT THIS.
LIEUTENANT JEREMY PAYNE,
OUTGOING PRESIDENT OF THE
DEPUTY SHERIFF’S ASSOCIATION OF
BEXAR COUNTY.
>> SO THE ONGOING LEGAL FIGHT
COULD HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT FOR
FIRST-RESPONDER FAMILIES ACROSS
TEXAS. HE ASKED THEM TO COME
IN.
>> YOU ASKED HIM TO SERVE.
HE DID HIS JOB AND HE PAID FOR
THAT WITH HIS LIFE. AND FOR YOU
TO COME BACK.
TRY AND HURT HIS FAMILY BY
TAKING AWAY FINANCIAL BENEFITS
THAT THE STATE IS ALREADY
APPROVED. IT’S JUST HORRIFIC.
COUNTY OFFICIALS DECLINED OUR
INTERVIEW REQUESTS CITING THE
PENDING LITIGATION.
>> ALTHOUGH SHERIFF JAVIER
SALAZAR HAS NOT COMMENTED
PUBLICLY ON IT IN A MAY 9TH
EMAIL TO THE COUNTY’S WORKERS.
COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALIST
HE CALLED THE FILING AGAINST
A GRIEVING LAW ENFORCEMENT
WIDOW, REPREHENSIBLE. QUOTE,
I CAN TELL YOU, I STRONGLY
DISAGREE WITH DENIAL OF
BENEFITS AND I FIND IT
INSULTING TO TIMMOTHY’S MEMORY
IF HIS WIFE IS INDEED BEING
SUED FOR PURSUING SOMETHING
COUNTLESS OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT
FAMILIES ARE RIGHTFULLY BEING
AFFORDED. OH, WELL, SHE IS
CLEARLY STILL DEALING WITH THE
LOSS OF HER SPOUSE FOR PAULINE,
A LOSS IN COURT WOULD MEAN A
RETURN TO THE WORKFORCE AT THE
AGE OF 70, MY HUSBAND GAVE
ALMOST 28 YEARS TO THE CITIZENS
OF BEXAR COUNTY. HE WORKED
THERE MORE THAN HALF HIS LIFE.
HIS LOYALTY AND DEDICATION WAS
UNWAVERING FOR THE DEFENDERS.
DILLON COLLIER, KSAT, 12 NEWS.
>> ATTORNEYS FOR PAULINE HAVE
ASKED FOR A JURY TRIAL IN THIS
CASE. SHE SAID SHE CONTINUES TO
RECEIVE DEPUTY DE LA FUENTE’S
DEATH BENEFITS WHILE THE SIDES
AWAIT TRIAL.
>> BUT THEY WERE TEMPORARILY
HALTED WHILE THE CASE WAS UNDER
APPEAL LAST YEAR. NOW A
SPOKESPERSON FOR BEXAR COUNTY
RELEASED A STATEMENT ON THE
CASE SAYING IN PART, QUOTE,
WHILE WE DISAGREE WITH THE
GENERAL CHARACTERIZATION OF
THIS MATTER, WE’RE WORKING TO
ENSURE THAT BEXAR COUNTY FUNDED