On December 10, 2021, 66-year-old Roberto Jaramillo-Salazar died in Encinal, Texas, in the La Salle County Regional Detention Center. According to the medical examiner, the cause of death was hypertensive arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Other inmates in the multiple-occupancy cell said he fell and struck his head.

In reference to the inmate’s death described in Part 2 of this series, there was a news report which added further details and explanations.

The inmate, age 26, was arrested on a misdemeanor drug charge and for behaving erratically in public. First, officers took him to a hospital. The young man was there for approximately 3 hours, and then he was transported to the local county jail.

 According to the report published in a local newspaper, detention officers ended up struggling with the inmate to place him in a restraint bed because he exhibited strange behavior. Allegedly, pepper spray and a spit mask were used on the inmate during the process. At some point, the inmate became unresponsive, was transported to a medical facility, and was pronounced dead.

The public outcry over the death of the mentally ill young man was great, and seven detention officers were placed on administrative leave while the department conducted an internal investigation. 

Learn more Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

On this website, there is no intention of making an implication that anyone or any organization has been involved in misdeeds. The purpose of the posts added to this site is to help inmates currently or previously detained in county jails in Texas.

–Guest Contributor