Armando Wayne Rubio Dies After Being an Inmate in Jones County, Texas Jail

The Jones County Sheriff’s Department, in Anson, Texas, filed a report with the State of Texas regarding the death of Armando Wayne Rubio. Mr. Rubio was only 40 years old at the time of his death. We provide information in this post we obtained from that report.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On August 2, 2021 at 23:04 jail staff was conducting a walk-through of the cell areas when inmate Rubio was asked by a jailer if he was feeling well. Inmate Rubio stated that he did not feel well. Inmate Rubio does have a medical history of Asthma and also uses an inhaler. When completing the cell walk-through, the jailer escorted inmate Rubio to Medical where they checked his oxygen levels. Inmate Rubio was given a breathing treatment and the jailer called the on call RN. The on call nurse stated to take inmate Rubio to the emergency room for evaluation. At approximately 23:59, inmate Rubio was transported by a jailer on duty to Anson General Hospital. Upon arrival, inmate Rubio stated to hospital staff that he could not catch his breath. He was then placed in a room and given oxygen. Hospital staff then gave inmate Rubio several injections. At 00:25, inmate Rubio collapsed on the hospital room floor and CPR was administered. Hospital Emergency Room Doctor pronounced inmate Rubio deceased at 01:04 am on August 3, 2021. Jones County Justice of the Peace pronounced inmate Rubio deceased at 01:50 am on August 3, 2021.”

The report also indicates that Mr. Rubio was initially in custody on June 7, 2021. Therefore, presumably, Mr. Rubio had received treatment in the jail before August 2nd. Texas jail inmates are entitled, pursuant to the United States Constitution, to receive reasonable medical care. If an inmate does not receive reasonable medical care, and jailers are deliberately indifferent to that inmate’s medical needs, and the inmate dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may have claims to be brought in a lawsuit.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.