HOUSTON – A Harris County Jail inmate with a pre-existing medical condition died at a hospital while in jail custody on Sunday, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
Oscar Villazana, 49, was booked into the jail on Oct. 3, 2022, and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital by ambulance on July 13 for a medical emergency. Villazana died on July 16 at 10:14 p.m., authorities said.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the circumstances of Villazana’s death in accordance with a state law that requires all jail deaths to be investigated by an independent law enforcement agency.
Deputies said Villazana’s cause of death will be determined through an autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
HCSO’s Internal Affairs Division has initiated an investigation to ensure that all policies and procedures were followed at the time of Villazana’s death. Such investigations are standard practice in these cases, deputies said.
HCSO said it has reported the death to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, as required by law.
According to HCSO, there have been 10 in-custody deaths this year. As of July 2023, Texas Jail Project reported 11.
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