Inmate dies at El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An inmate died at the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility on Friday.
El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte announced the news of Jonathan Rizzo's death today. He says that detention officers found Rizzo unresponsive inside of his cell Friday afternoon.
The officers tried to help Rizzo and emergency crews rushed him to the hospital, Sheriff Ugarte said. Rizzo was pronounced dead at the hospital. Ugarte says that preliminary findings suggest Rizzo died of natural causes. The investigation is still ongoing.
"As required by law, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards was notified," Sheriff Ugarte stated. "The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Texas Rangers are conducting a full investigation into the incident."
Online jail records show that Rizzo had recently been booked into the downtown facility on drug and credit card abuse charges.
