Man dies in custody at Oakland courthouse
OAKLAND, CA - MAY13: The Alameda County Superior Courthouse is seen in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, May 13, 2021. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - A 27-year-old man died Wednesday while in custody at an Oakland courthouse, according to sheriff’s officials.
Found unresponsive in holding cell: source
What they're saying:
Enrique Gonsalez-Cruz of Oakland was found unresponsive with a ligature around his neck at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:31 p.m.
A source told KTVU the man had been alone in a holding cell before his death. The source did not specify what type of material was used as the ligature.
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Previous custody history
What we know:
According to Kara Janssen, an attorney with some oversight powers over the jail as it relates to people in custody with mental illness, the sheriff's office said he came into custody on Dec. 12 and had several brief incarcerations at Santa Rita Jail. He had no reported mental health symptoms or history, and no history of suicidal ideations or attempts.
They said he was categorized "as an AFBH LOC 1" client each time he came into custody, which is the lowest level and generally means stable. Janssen said she had not independently verified this information.
Gonsalez-Cruz is the third in-custody death in Alameda County this year.
Arrest details
The backstory:
Gonsalez-Cruz had been arrested by California Highway Patrol officers from the Oakland Division on charges of vehicle theft and possession of a stolen vehicle. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail on Dec. 12.
Sheriff’s officials said the man’s family has been notified of his death.
A forensic pathologist will determine the cause of death.