SAN ANTONIO – Northwest Side residents said they never expected to see SWAT teams in their neighborhood after a six-hour-long standoff Saturday.
Bobby Bernabie Rocha, 52, was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he threatened his roommate, according to an affidavit obtained by KSAT.
“It was just kinda scary,” Janie Brado said. “You could tell there were all-black vehicles, and I figured a SWAT team or something. I said, ‘Oh my God, this is really serious.’”
Rocha barricaded himself in a home on Cincinnati Avenue after his roommate allegedly let his two pets loose in what the roommate said was an accident.
“About 5 o’clock, I walked out of my house. I saw a few police officers,” Michael Trevino said, “but then I see more officers, and there was a big commotion about four houses down.”
After about six hours of police speaking over an intercom to Rocha and calling him directly, Rocha walked out of the home and was taken into custody.
“I just didn’t want another Ms. Perez situation,” Brado said, referring to the shooting death of Melissa Perez. “I was just, I was afraid that might transpire.”
The San Antonio Police Department credited a “skid steer” technique in helping them remove Rocha from the home, which police said he did voluntarily.
“[It was] very interesting to see the hostage negotiation van come in,” Trevino said, “they were using drones.”
Rocha was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and obstruction or retaliation.
In the affidavit, Rocha is accused of pointing a brown revolver at his roommate and saying that he would make him disappear by dismembering his body and feeding the pieces to “the cat.”
San Antonio Police initially said they believe Rocha is related to the victim. The affidavit released Sunday does not clarify the relationship between the two individuals.
However, experts said family violence tends to rise during the holidays.
“(In) November and December, our crisis response team and our local community partners see an uptick in cases,” said Erica Lee, a health program manager for violence prevention with the City of San Antonio.
Lee encouraged people to look out for signs, especially this time of year.
“We know that with increased financial pressure, family stress, heightened emotional expectations, more time at home during the holidays can be very rough,” Lee said.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is so much help for you. KSAT has a list of resources on its Domestic Violence webpage, which also explains how to identify different types of abuse.
If it’s an emergency, text or call 911. For wrap-around services, including the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services at (210) 733-8810.
You can also contact the Bexar County Family Justice Center, which also provides wrap-around services at (210) 631-0100.
Read also:
Copyright 2025 by KSAT – All rights reserved.