Edgar Villatoro-Alvarez was booked into Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 14, 2021. He died in the jail’s custody on February 25, 2022. He was only 40 years old at the time of his death. The cause of death is still unknown, according to the custodial death report.

Warning Signs that an Inmate is Potentially Suicidal

A suicide prevention resource prepared and released by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement provides warning signs that a Texas county jail inmate is suicidal. Understanding the facts can help jailers avoid falling into the trap of believing myths about suicide. Warning signs and symptoms of suicidal inmates include the following, with the single best suicide indicator listed first:

• Exhibits signs and symptoms of depression
• Extremely sad and weeping
• Silence or withdrawal
• Threatens or talks about suicide
• Feels helpless or hopeless
• Experiences an appetite and/or weight loss or increase
• Attitudes about the future are pessimistic
• Routine sleeping patterns suddenly change
• An inmate’s mood or behavior changes suddenly in one or more of the following ways:
  • Begins to pack and/or give belongings away
  • Expresses unusual concern about what will happen to them
  • Behaves in an aggressive or severely agitated manner
  • Relating to others becomes increasingly difficult
  • Is preoccupied with the past and does not deal effectively with the present
• Expresses excessive self-blame
• Expresses strong shame and/or guilt over offenses
• May behave very calmly once the decision to commit suicide is made

Learn more in Part 1 of this continuing series.

Making insinuations that persons or organizations have engaged in wrongdoing is never an intention on this website. The purpose of the posts on the site is to help county jail inmates in Texas, whether currently or previously incarcerated.

–Guest Contributor