HOUSTON – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said a 28-year-old man died at a hospital after suffering a medical emergency at the Harris County Jail.
Christian Rayo was transported by the Houston Fire Department EMS to a local hospital on Thursday due to the medical emergency. At approximately 3:36 p.m., he was pronounced dead at the medical facility.
Recommended Videos
The sheriff’s office said Rayo had no apparent physical injuries and had been in jail since Jan. 8.
This is the third in-custody death reported this week by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. On Monday, Robert Shelton, 60, died after suffering a medical emergency in a local hospital. He was hospitalized for a preexisting medical condition.
A woman also reportedly died on Wednesday after being transported to a local hospital due to a medical emergency on Tuesday. Rachelle Mitchell, 42, had been in jail since April 24. She had no apparent physical injuries, according to the sheriff’s office.
All three of the deaths are being investigated by the Texas Rangers in accordance with state law that requires all jail deaths to be investigated by an outside law enforcement agency.
The Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division is also investigating to determine whether all applicable policies and procedures were followed, which is standard following the death of a person in jail. The man’s cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.
The death has been reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.