Two Employees from Texas Department of Criminal Justice Arrested for Homicide and Manslaughter at Clements Unit; Two More Dismissed

Update: 1:20 p.m.

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Officials with the Potter County Sheriff’s Office released the mugshots of William Romero and Crystal West to MyHighPlains.com.

Update: 1:20 p.m.

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Officials with the Potter County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that William Romero and Crystal West are both in protective custody and in isolation.

Update: 12:32 p.m.

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Officials with the TDCJ confirmed two other correction officers allegedly involved in a Sunday incident that led to the death of an inmate in the Clements Unit were fired.

That update comes after initial reports of two now-former employees, Crystal West and Lieutenant William Romero, were arrested Sunday after the inmate’s death on alleged manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges.

Update: 12:12 p.m.

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Officials with the TDCJ confirmed two now-former employees were arrested, allegedly “for their role in the failure to render aid to an inmate at the Clements Unit” early Sunday morning.

According to TDCJ officials, Clements Unit staff entered the cell of an inmate at around 3:19 a.m. on Sunday after he allegedly “lit a fire in his cell and had become unresponsive.” The inmate, who was not named by TDCJ, was pronounced dead at 4:09 a.m.

TDCJ officials confirmed Crystal West was charged with alleged manslaughter and Lieutenant William Romero was charged with alleged criminally negligent homicide. Both West and Romero were noted as “no longer employed by the agency.”

“The agency is working closely with OIG and the Special Prosecution Unit so that those staff who allegedly failed to act will be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said TDCJ officials in a statement to MyHighPlains.com. The agency said that due to the ongoing criminal case, no further information would be released at this time.

Original story:

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – According to jail records and the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, two Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees were arrested at the Clements Unit for alleged Criminally Negligent Homicide and Manslaughter on Sunday.

Records state that 33-year-old William Eugene Romero was arrested for alleged Criminally Negligent Homicide, while 39-year-old Crystal Janelle West was arrested for alleged Manslaughter. Romero and West were both arrested Sunday on TDCJ Clements Unit property.

According to records, Romero and West received no bond.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.