Calling for Answers: The Family of Jolie Pescina Raises Concern Over SAPD’s Handling of Leon Creek Crash

Calling for Answers: The Family of Jolie Pescina Raises Concern Over SAPD’s Handling of Leon Creek Crash

The San Antonio community is watching closely as the family of 21‑year‑old Jolie Pescina seeks answers after her tragic death in a single-vehicle crash — and now is publicly questioning whether law enforcement thoroughly searched the crash site. According to family members, Pescina was in her car when it ended up in Leon Creek after she lost control, but they say she was not discovered until days after the incident.

What Happened: The Crash and the Delayed Discovery

• On November 17, Pescina reportedly lost control of her vehicle while driving on the South Side, in the 12300 block of Southwest Loop 410, and crashed into Leon Creek.

• First responders — including the San Antonio Fire Department — were called to the scene for a “vehicle that apparently rolled into a creek bed / ditch,” according to SAPD.

• However, according to Pescina’s family, authorities did not immediately find her in the creek, despite having searched over the weekend.

• It was only on Tuesday evening that her body was finally located inside her vehicle submerged in the creek.

• Her older sister, Gloria Ramos, told KSAT that Pescina’s phone sent an alert to authorities indicating she was in a car crash.

• The family returned to the site based on her last known location and realized for themselves that her vehicle was actually in the ditch — flipped into Leon Creek.

• Ramos and other family members question whether more could have been done by first responders and law enforcement to locate her sooner. “It feels like they just didn’t do enough,” she said.

The Family’s Grief and Frustration

For Pescina’s family, the loss is deeply personal — and compounded by what they perceive as a failure in the immediate response:

• Unanswered Questions: They are asking how, if a crash happened and emergency services were dispatched, the site could have been searched without locating her at first.

• Sense of Abandonment: The delay in finding her body raises fears about missed opportunities — whether to rescue her, to treat her injuries, or at least to recover her sooner.

• Accountability: By raising these issues publicly, the family is pushing for transparency. They want to know what happened, and whether the standard response to such a crash was followed.

• Emotional Toll: Beyond procedural concerns, there is the deep grief of losing Jolie, who leaves behind loved ones, including a 2-year-old child.

What Does San Antonio Police Department Policy Say?

In light of the family’s concerns, one critical question arises: What are the San Antonio Police Department’s standard operating procedures when investigating a crash scene — especially one involving a vehicle in water?

Here’s what the publicly available SAPD policy shows:

• SAPD’s Procedure 707 – Crash Investigation sets out formal guidelines for how officers should handle crash scenes.

• The most recent version of the policy (effective April 2025) clarifies that officers must investigate and report motor vehicle crashes, including completing required crash‑report forms (such as TxDOT Form CR-3 and SAPD Form CR-E1).

• The policy also designates who is responsible: officers on the scene, supervisors, and potentially specialized units (depending on the nature of the crash).

• There are guidelines for securing the crash site (to preserve evidence), though the publicly available manual doesn’t explicitly lay out a step-by-step “search‑underwater” protocol in that section.

• After crash-scene investigation, reports are routed to the Traffic Investigation Detail and other relevant offices.

The Family’s Call: Demanding Transparency and Change

Given their experience, Pescina’s family is pushing for several things:

1. A full accounting from SAPD — They want clarity on how the search was conducted, who was involved, and why Pescina’s vehicle was missed initially.

2. An independent review — They are asking for oversight or an external investigation to assess whether proper protocol was followed during the crash response.

3. Improved search procedures — Specifically, for incidents involving water, they want to ensure that future crash victims aren’t overlooked in similar dangerous terrain.

4. Support for their trauma — They hope for more than just answers — they need healing, justice, and acknowledgment from the city and law enforcement.

Broader Implications for Public Safety

This tragic case isn’t just a personal loss — it also raises significant public‑safety and procedural concerns:

• Risk at Water-Crash Sites: Streams, creeks, ditches, and low-lying water crossings are common in many parts of San Antonio. If a crash happens there, timely and thorough search protocols are critical.

• Resource Allocation: Ensuring that responders have the training, equipment, and manpower to search in difficult terrain (especially at night) may need re-examination.

• Policy Review and Reform: Incidents like this may prompt law-enforcement agencies to revisit and strengthen their crash-investigation guidelines — particularly for nonstandard scenes.

• Community Trust: When families feel let down by first responders, trust erodes. Transparent investigations and open communication are vital to rebuilding that trust.

Conclusion: The Search for Justice and Assurance

As the family of Jolie Pescina grapples with grief, their questions echo through San Antonio: Did we do enough? Did authorities act promptly? What will change so this doesn’t happen again?

They are not only mourning their loss — they are demanding accountability, clarity, and reform. Their fight is a reminder that behind every crash report is a human life, and behind every procedural document is a family looking for justice.

San Antonio’s police department now faces a test of its commitment to transparency and public trust. The community will be watching — and many will be listening — as Pescina’s family continues to call for answers.