Sgt. Edward Pablos of the Laredo Police Department’s Mental Evaluation Outreach Unit told the Suicide Prevention Committee that a 988 call helped prevent a likely death in October. He read a supplement written by Officer Emerson Barbosa describing the response to a home contact on Oct. 9, 2025, in which an adult man, identified in the report as Juan, had attempted to take his medications and later called 988.

"Juan immediately called the 988 hotline and spoke to someone about getting help, which is how case worker Megan Flores and officer Marco Sagar were sent to Mr. Juan's address," Pablos read to the committee. The evaluation led staff to recommend an intake appointment and a safety plan, he said.

Why it matters: Committee members said the case is an example of how the 988 awareness campaign and coordinated response can connect people in crisis with immediate help and follow-up care. Dr. Julie Bassam, the committee chair, described the report as "exactly what I needed here to reenergize" and said the case illustrates why continued public messaging matters.

Supporting details: Sgt. Pablos, who supervises the unit, said he wanted to share the report to show the committee "that the message of 988 is working." Committee members later described additional local examples, including a 14-year-old who used 988 and was transported by police for evaluation, and a caller who reported being helped even after waiting on hold.

Limitations and clarifications: The report read at the meeting is an internal supplement recorded by unit officers and contains names and details used for case description; the committee did not release medical records. The committee emphasized that some callers experience misrouting or receive incorrect local numbers from 988 and asked that the committee’s updated local QR code be made available to 988 contacts to reduce that problem.

What happens next: Public-health and police staff said they will continue to share incidents and aggregate data with the committee, and to coordinate outreach tying the 988 message to local resources and updated referral information.