Jose Saul Cruz Jr. Dies in Dawson County, Texas Jail

The Dawson County Sheriff’s Department, in Lamesa, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Jose Saul Cruz Jr. Mr. Cruz was only 34 years old at the time of his death. We provide information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“The decedent, Jose Cruz, was brought into the Dawson County Jail on November 05, 2022, at approximately 2:45 a.m., asked screening questions and changed out into a jail uniform. Inmate Cruz cooperated during the booking process but appeared to be very fidgety and anxious. Once the booking process was completed, inmate Cruz was placed into the detox cell and given a mattress. Jail staff advised that all through the morning of November 5, Inmate Cruz was observed to be pacing the detox cell and waving his arms and talking to himself. At approximately 10:38 p.m., on November 5, 2022, inmate Cruz was observed to be laying down on mattress and jail staff advised that they heard him snore. Jail staff went to check on inmate Cruz at 11:06 p.m. and observed inmate Cruz to be unresponsive and not breathing. Chest compressions were initiated and EMS was called. EMS arrived at approximately 11:12 p.m. and advised jail staff that inmate Cruz was deceased. County Judge arrived at jail and pronounced death at 11:12 p.m. Autopsy was performed on Monday, November 7, 2022, at 8:30 a.m., and results are pending.”

Further, the report indicates that Mr. Cruz appeared intoxicated by drugs and/or alcohol and also exhibited mental health problems. The report does not provide any information regarding medical treatment or mental health treatment, if any, obtained for Mr. Cruz. It also does not provide information about whether Mr. Cruz was periodically observed in accordance with Texas Commission on Jail Standards regulations.

People in Texas county jails are entitled to receive reasonable medical care and mental health care. If they do not receive such services, pursuant to the United States Constitution, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. Our Texas jail neglect and abuse law firm is currently litigating a number of such lawsuits, on behalf of families, across Texas.

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.