County Inmate Angel Pinales Dies in the Dallas Jail’s Custody

Angel Pinales, 54, was booked into Dallas County Jail on August 27, 2025, at 6:57 PM. Sadly, just three days later, Mr. Pinales passed away while still in the jail’s custody. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office reported the death of Mr. Pinales on October 30, 2025. That report, the custodial death report (CDR), was filed exactly one month after the September 30 deadline.

The CDR indicates that Mr. Pinales’s cause of death is unknown. Information usually obtained during booking added no insights. The answer is “unknown” as to whether he exhibited signs of being intoxicated from drugs or alcohol, was potentially mentally ill or suicidal, or exhibited health problems.

The only indication that something was known about the death of Mr. Pinales is the answer to whether he died because of a pre-existing medical condition. That answer is: Not applicable; cause of death was accidental injury, intoxication, suicide, or homicide. When the events surrounding his death began, he was in his single-occupancy cell in Dallas County Jail.

The following indicates the information in the CDR’s summary of how the death occurred:

On August 30, 2025, detention officers conducting routine rounds at the West Tower Detention Facility discovered Dallas County inmate Angel Pinales lying on his back and unresponsive, with no visible signs of breathing. Medical personnel were immediately summoned, and CPR was initiated. Mr. Pinales was then transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Angel Pinales was pronounced deceased at 11:00 p.m. on August 30, 2025, by a hospital physician.

Elsewhere in the CDR, it is indicated that Mr. Pinales was “deceased on arrival at the medical facility.” The autopsy and toxicology reports remain pending.

Dallas County Jail is also known as the Lew Sterrett Justice Center and is at 111 Commerce St, Dallas, Texas 75207. The inmate capacity of the jail facility is approximately 7,100.

Denial of Medical Care to Inmates in U.S. Jails is Far Too Common

It is a shocking revelation that, according to in-depth research, nearly 70% of inmates with ongoing medical problems are denied medical care while incarcerated in county and municipal jails. The natural result is that inmates die when their deaths could have been prevented. Detainees have a constitutional right to receive necessary medical care.

It appears that jail staff, including jail medical personnel, make wrong judgments, sometimes due to deliberate indifference, about what is “necessary.” Medical care has often been denied, even though inmates pleaded for hours or days for medical help and exhibited great pain or physical weakness or alarming symptoms. Below is one example in the tragic, allegedly preventable death of 27-year-old Hardel Sherrel in a Minnesota jail:

A long battle for justice is ongoing on behalf of Hardel Sherrell, who became paralyzed and died a few days after being booked into Minnesota’s Beltrami County Jail. Mr. Sherrell died at only 27, and his family alleges that medical neglect was his cause of death. Mr. Sherrell allegedly wasn’t provided with necessary medical treatment but, rather, suffered for six agonizing days as his pleas for medical help were ignored. He died on the floor of his cell on September 2, 2018.
In 2020, the Department of Corrections (DOC) launched a new investigation following protests and new evidence about the circumstances leading to Mr. Sherrell’s death. Upon reviewing a whistleblower’s letter along with additional evidence, the DOC determined that there had been “consistent and serious breaches of Minnesota jail standards.”

The Beltrami County Jail is located at 626 Minnesota Ave NW, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601. The jail has an inmate capacity of 80.

Looking for Legal Help After Jail Neglect?

Research shows that nearly 70% of people held in local jails across the country who live with chronic health issues do not get the medical care they need—a deeply concerning statistic. If your loved one passed away due to medical neglect or inadequate jail conditions, the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., may be able to assist you. Our attorneys have extensive experience pursuing justice in wrongful death and in-custody neglect cases, including those involving preventable suicides.

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