Vincent Leyva, an El Paso County Jail inmate, died on March 16, 2023, at 12:16 PM. He had been booked into the jail approximately 70 hours earlier on March 13, 2023, at 2:18 PM. An autopsy was performed, and the medical cause of death is listed as “Esophageal rupture. Contributing: Acute mixed drug toxicity (methamphetamine, fentanyl).” The address of the El Paso County Jail is 601 E. Overland, El Paso, TX 79901.

Headlines Across the U.S. are Replete with News of Inmates Dying of Overdoses

Many recent news stories from around the country are about inmates in county jails who died of drug overdoses or drug toxicity. These incidents are occurring with increasing regularity due to fentanyl, a highly potent and deadly synthetic opioid. Methamphetamine is also often detected in an inmate’s body during an autopsy when the cause of death was drug intoxication.

A 46-Year-Old Inmate of a County Jail Outside Texas Dies of Drug Intoxication

A Medical Examiner has deemed the death of an inmate in a county jail outside Texas an accident. Although he suffered several broken ribs, it was believed that aggressive efforts at CPR caused that condition. The ME shared his opinion that the 46-year-old died of amphetamine, methamphetamine, and N,N-diethylpentylone intoxication. The man was arrested on drug charges at 6 AM, placed in the county jail, and was later transported to an emergency room where he was declared deceased at 1:34 PM.   

Learn more in this continuing series.

Providing help to inmates now or formerly detained in a Texas municipal or county jail is one of the purposes of this website. There is never an intention of inferring that wrongs have occurred on the part of people or entities.

–Guest Contributor