Christopher Torres-Garcia Dies of Sepsis After Incarceration in Webb County Jail – County Waits Months to File Death Report
The Webb County Sheriff’s Office, in Laredo, Texas, on April 21, 2022, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Christopher Torres-Garcia. The Webb County Sherriff’s Office provides no explanation as to why it filed the report in apparent violation of Texas law, over four months after Mr. Torres-Garcia’s death. Texas law requires that counties file custodial death reports no later than 30 days after such a death. Regardless, Mr. Torres-Garcia was only 34 years old at the time he passed away.
The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:
“1.) On December 1, 2021 at 04:07:00PM Inmate Christopher Torres-Garcia was booked in to Webb County Jail. At intake, Inmate was placed procedurally on Detox 5 days in Cell Post 5 Temporary Housing. 2.) On December 6, 2021 Inmate Christopher Torres-Garcia completed Detox. 3.) On December 7, 2021 Inmate Christopher Torres-Garcia was transferred to Post 8 Temporary Housing. 4.) On December 8, 2021 Inmate Christopher Torres-Garcia was transferred to Post 5 Temporary Housing. 5.) On December 8, 2021, 13:30:00 Hrs During Roll Call-Inmate Christopher Torres-Garcia tells officer not feeling good and collapses. 6.) On December 8, 2021 Subsequent to collapsing Inmate Christopher Garcia-Torres is transported to Laredo Medical Center via ambulance. 7.) On December 8, 2021 at 16:15:00 hrs Inmate Christopher Garcia-Torres is pronounced dead at Laredo Medical Center by DR. Luis Pellicia.”
The report also indicates that Mr. Torres-Garcia died from sepsis due to infected drug injection sites. This is troubling on a number of levels, not the least of which that our Texas jail neglect law firm expects to be going to trial on a lawsuit against Webb County soon as a result of the sepsis death of Mario Andrade, Jr.
It is more than troubling that yet another sepsis death occurred in the Laredo County jail. Our law firm took a number of depositions in the other case, and conducted other discovery. The court in the lawsuit involving Mario Andrade, Jr. held that plaintiffs in that case produced sufficient evidence to present a jury on issues including the jail’s lack of a sepsis screening policy. The court also held that plaintiffs produced sufficient evidence on the use of unlicensed paramedics to fill designated nursing roles, and inadequate monitoring of inmates who are under medical observation (as was apparently Mr. Torres-Garcia for a period of time). We expected, as a result of the lawsuit involving Mario Andrade Jr., that the Webb County jail would put in place appropriate policies to prevent another sepsis death in the Laredo jail.
The United States Constitution guarantees the right of pretrial detainees to receive reasonable medical care. If an inmate in a Texas county jail is not provided reasonable medical care, and jailers are deliberately indifferent to known medical needs, and a person dies as a result, then certain family members may be able to bring a federal lawsuit. In fact, that is what our law firm filed as a result of the death of Mario Andrade, Jr. in the Webb County jail. Even so, we make no allegation of any wrongdoing in this post regarding that lawsuit or allegations that have been made in it. We are instead providing information in this post related to Mr. Torres-Garcia’s death, so that the public can be informed as to what is occurring Texas jails.
Dean Malone
Dean Malone