Two Texas Prison Guards Charged After Inmate Dies in Burning Cell

AMARILLO, TX — Two Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) officers have been fired and arrested after allegedly leaving an inmate to die inside a burning and smoke-filled cell at the William P. Clement Unit in Amarillo.

According to reports from the Amarillo Globe-News and KFDA-TV, the incident occurred early Sunday morning when the unidentified inmate set a mattress on fire inside his high-security cell. When officers ordered him to put his hands through the food tray slot, he refused, prompting Sgt. Crystal Janelle West, 39, to call her supervisor, Lt. William Eugene Romero, 33.

Romero allegedly told West to keep the slot closed, calling it a safety risk. “He said, ‘It’s just gonna stay shut. We’re not opening it,’” a source told KFDA.

West later returned to the cell, which was reportedly filled with smoke, but still did not open the door. Sources said she “refused to help in any way.”

Staff returned around 3:19 a.m. and found the inmate unresponsive. He was pronounced deceased less than an hour later.

Romero has been charged with criminally negligent homicide, and West with second-degree manslaughter. Both were arrested later that day, booked into the Potter County Jail, and fired from their positions.

Romero’s bond was set at $150,000, and West’s at $200,000. Jail records show both remained in custody as of Tuesday evening.

In a statement, TDCJ said it is working with the Office of Inspector General and the Special Prosecution Unit to ensure “those staff who allegedly failed to act will be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”