Angelica Martin Dies After 3 Weeks in Dallas County Jail

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On April 5, 2024, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report (CDR) about 48-year-old Angelica Martin. She was booked into the Dallas County Jail Lew Sterrett Justice Center on March 4, 2024. Tragically, she died on March 26, 2024, still in the jail’s custody.

Twenty days after she entered the Dallas jail, at 4:16 AM, a registered nurse (RN) and two Dallas County Sheriff’s Department Detention Service Officers (DSO) found Ms. Martin in an unresponsive state. They had been making a medical round to distribute medications and administer finger sticks to check blood sugar.

The RN began administering Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Ms. Martin regained a pulse and CPR ceased at 4:46 AM. Ms. Martin was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital (PMH) at 4:51 AM. On March 26, 2024, Ms. Martin was pronounced deceased by a physician at PMH. Her cause of death is currently unknown and pending autopsy results.

Many U.S. Jail Deaths Have Occurred in the Past Month

A search through U.S. news for jail deaths will usually reveal the alarming frequency of custodial deaths in local jails. In many cases, at least initially, the cause of death is a mystery. The following are a few examples of jail deaths within the past month.

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 46-year-old detainee was found dead in his Redwood City, California, cell on March 15, 2024. Initially, suicide was reported as the cause of death. However, the official cause of death is pending autopsy results.
A Henry County Jail detainee was discovered dead inside his cell on Monday, March 11, 2024. Staff at the jail attempted to provide emergency medical services, but he did not revive. The man was pronounced deceased by the county coroner’s office. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office in McDonough, Georgia, released no further details.
On March 28, 2024, in Prince William County, Virginia, 18-year-old Juan Felipe Majia Campos was discovered unresponsive in his cell. When jail staff attempted to give lifesaving aid, they found that it was too late. Shortly after, he was pronounced deceased. Just before 9:15 AM that morning, officers responded to the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center to investigate. Preliminarily, officials said that the death appears to be narcotics-related or for unknown medical reasons.
On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, a 32-year-old man was found dead in his cell inside the Yakima County Sunnyside City Jail in Yakima, Washington. The man had been arrested and booked into the jail on March 29, just four days earlier.

Has Your Loved One Died in a Local Jail Due to Medical Neglect?

It is often said that jail is not supposed to be a place where people go to die. Tragically, however, many people are never released from a county or municipal jail because death came first. If this has happened to a member of your family and you think it was possibly the result of medical neglect or jail neglect, contact the Law Offices of Dean Malone. For years, we’ve represented the interests of families whose loved ones died while incarcerated. We sometimes also represent former inmates who suffered a life-altering injury due to neglect while in jail. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us by calling, texting, or filling out our online form.

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