Roll of Honor
Maria Garcia
Incident
Correctional Officer IV Maria Garcia died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the John B. Connally Unit at 899 FM632 in Kenedy.
Correctional Officer Garcia had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division for three years.
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.
Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Correctional Officer IV Maria Garcia died on January 22, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 60.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 55 at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-AC31A0F2- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Maria. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Correctional Officer IV Garcia gave the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer IV Garcia.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer IV Maria Garcia is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 204 of 2,421 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, 55 of 124 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 44.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Maria Garcia's cause is highlighted.
How Maria Garcia Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Maria Garcia is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
