A Texas man is currently in police custody after allegedly moving his deceased mother’s remains to a storage unit, following a year of keeping her body in their shared apartment. The man, identified as 53-year-old Rogelio Bernal, was previously linked to a storage unit that had been auctioned off, as reported by San Antonio’s ABC affiliate KSAT.
The new owner of the unit made a shocking discovery of human remains in a trash can stored within the unit, leading to a call to the police. The information was gleaned from a probable cause affidavit that the station had the opportunity to review.
Bernal was apprehended on an unrelated warrant on December 22. Court documents reveal that he was arrested on drug-related charges on the same day. At the time of his arrest, there was an active warrant out for him.
Following his arrest, Bernal reportedly identified the remains found in the storage unit as those of his mother. He claimed to have been her caregiver at the apartment they shared, where she is believed to have died years ago.
According to KSAT, Bernal recounted an incident around October 31, 2021, when he heard his mother fall in the shower while he was cooking. He found her on the bathroom floor, still alive, but refrained from calling the police due to his criminal record.
Bernal allegedly stored his mother’s body in a hall closet after her death, covering it with lye and cleaning supplies for over a year. He told investigators that a gnat infestation developed in the apartment, leading to his eviction in October 2022. Following his eviction, Bernal acquired the storage unit where he eventually placed his mother’s remains in a trash can.
Bernal now faces charges of altering, destroying, or concealing a human corpse. His bail has been set at $75,000.