During intake at Smith County Jail on December 4, 2022, it is noted that 42-year-old Joshua Cody Fouse did not exhibit medical or mental health problems. It also states that he did not appear intoxicated or make suicidal statements. For reasons still unknown, he died on December 7, 2022, while still in the jail’s custody.

Carlos Jose Hernandez, Jr., Commits Suicide in Smith County Jail

Carlos Jose Hernandez, Jr., was 22 years old when he was booked into Smith County Jail at 3:04 AM on June 11, 2017. The jail’s address is 104 South Spring Avenue in Tyler, Texas 75702. He had been arrested on an alcohol/drug offense. During the intake process, it was noted that he made no suicidal statements, exhibited no mental health problems, and did not appear to be intoxicated.

Contrary to these notes, a summary of events states that Mr. Hernandez did make statements during pre-booking indicating that he was at risk for suicide. He was placed in a single-occupancy cell on suicide watch, which involves observation checks every 10 minutes. The observation logs at the jail match up with video camera footage to verify that these observations had been made in a proper and timely manner. Prior to the events that will be described in the next segment of this series, Mr. Hernandez was observed to be sleeping at 12:02 AM and 12:11 AM in the midnight hours of the day after his arrest.

Learn more in Part 1 and this ongoing series.

This website is meant as a resource for inmates in Texas incarcerated in local county and municipal jails. Insinuating that organizations or individuals have engaged in acts of wrongdoing is never an intention.

–Guest Contributor